Orange County acknowledges landfill access limits during trash strike

Orange County officials acknowledged that a Teamsters strike restricted public access to some county landfills after initially saying all three facilities remained open, according to a Voice of OC opinion column published Friday. A county labor-board filing also alleged blocked entrances, reduced trash deliveries and staffing pressures.

The differing accounts concern access for residents bringing their own waste and haulers using the county’s disposal system. The column contrasts the county’s public assurances with its account of operational disruptions in a formal labor dispute.

The strike began Oct. 13, with more than 400 workers reportedly picketing, according to Voice of OC. The county’s three landfill sites are Olinda Alpha in Brea, Frank R. Bowerman in Irvine and Prima Deshecha in San Juan Capistrano.

County spokespeople initially said each site was operating and accepting waste from commercial and residential haulers. Francine Bangert, public communication manager for OC Waste and Recycling, later said Prima Deshecha had barred self-haulers and other members of the public on Oct. 13 and 14.

Bangert also said Olinda Alpha stopped admitting those users at about 11 a.m. on the day she issued her clarification, according to the column. Those restrictions concerned public access rather than a shutdown of all landfill operations.

In a 106-page filing with the state Public Employment Relations Board, the county alleged that picketers repeatedly obstructed traffic entering and leaving landfills from Oct. 13 through 17. According to the filing as described by Voice of OC, Bowerman typically took in about 8,000 tons a day but received under 2,100 tons daily for four consecutive days during the strike.

David Tieu, a deputy director in OC Waste and Recycling’s Central Region, reported that haulers were diverting waste to facilities outside the county. He also warned in the filing that fatigue could cause injuries and that inadequate staffing could force a landfill to shut down. The column’s conclusion that officials were dishonest was the author’s assessment, distinct from the county’s statements and allegations.

County supervisors were expected to discuss a Teamsters contract in closed session at 2 p.m. Friday while the strike was paused, according to Voice of OC.