Not Your Father's Dump
Way back when, garbage was taken to the dump at the edge of town - it was far enough from homes that nobody cared much about its ecology, and it seemed like it would last forever. We certainly have learned our lessons since then. The only thing that the Simi Valley Landfill has in common with those old dumps is that it takes your trash.
To begin with, the landfill's site has been prepared with filtration and protective layers before even the first load of trash. At the bottom of the layering system, the native soils are prepared and then covered with a composite line, equivalent to a two-foot layer of compacted clay. This is the lowest barrier (of many) to prevent leachate, the liquid byproduct of the trash, from entering the eco-system. Above this is the Geomembrane; a thick layer constructed out of a high-density polyethylene (known as HDPE) that forms a liner for the trash. Above this is a system of perforated pipes layered in a bed of gravel. These pipes transport the collected leachate and transport it out to pumps that remove it for treatment and disposal. Above this is the filter geotextile, literally a felt-like fabric that filters solids out of the leachate, to prevent the pipe system from clogging. Above this is a 2 foot soil “Operations Layer” put in place to protect the underlying filters. Finally, above this, lies your trash.
You probably don't know that trash in the landfills is compacted in layers within a small area to reduce the volume consumed within the landfill. At the end of each day, a 6-12 inch layer of soil is laid over the day's waste. This prevents vectors, odors and keeps litter from scattering.
We are very proud of our state of the art landfill system, and love to show it off. If you would like a tour, please contact Scott Tignac. We would be happy to show you what the future of the landfill looks like in Simi Valley!
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