Table Of ContentU.S. Department of the Interio:
National Park Service
Santa Monica Mountains
National Recreation Area
Calabasas Landfill
Special Use Permit
Environmental
Assessment
February 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED 1
2.0 SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA 4
2.1 Overview 4
2.2 Management Framework 5
2.2.1 General Management Plan 5
2.2.2 Land Protection Plan 7
2.3 Simi Hills 7
2.3.1 Description 7
2.3.2 Existing Facilities 7
23.3 Visitor Use 8
2.3.4 General Park Operations in the Simi Hills 8
2.3.5 Resource Management Activities 9
2.3.6 Simi Hills Comprehensive Design Plan 9
3.0 CALABASAS LANDFILL 12
3.1 Introduction: The Existing Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management System ... 12
3.2 Landfill Operations 13
3.2.1 Overview of Site Operations 17
3.2.2 Current Operating Permits 24
3.2.3 Closure and Postclosure 26
4.0 PLANNING ISSUES AND CONCERNS 30
4.1 Public Concerns and Comments 30
4.2 Executive Order 12898, "Environmental Justice" 31
5.0 ALTERNATIVES 32
5.1 Alternative 1 - N o Action 32
5.2 Alternative 2 - I ssuance of Special Use Permit with Permit Conditions 33
5.3 Alternative 3 - D enial of Special Use Permit 36
5.4 Alternatives Impact Matrix 40
5.5 Evaluation of Decision Criteria 44
6.0 AFFECTED ENVmONMENT 51
6.1 Natural Resources 51
6.1.1 Air Quality 51
6.1.2 Topography, Geology and Soils 60
6.1.3 Water Resources 63
6.1.4 Floodplains 80
6.1.5 Wetlands 81
6.1.6 Vegetation 82
6.1.7 Wildlife and Aquatic Life 83
6.1.8 Threatened, Endangered, or Special Concern Species 86
6.2 Cultural Resources 92
6.2.1 Archaeological Resources 92
6.2.2 Paleontological Resources 92
6.2.3 Historic Resources 94
6.3 Socioeconomic Environment 94
6.3.1 Population, Economy and Land Use 94
6.3.2 Transportation 102
6.3.3 Visual Resources 106
6.3.4 Noise 107
6.4 Impact Topics Eliminated From Further Consideration 112
6.4.1 Prime and Unique Farmland 112
7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 113
8.0 IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE 1 - N O ACTION 114
8.1 Natural Resources 114
8.1.1 Impacts on Air Quality 114
8.1.2 Impacts on Topography, Geology and Soils 116
8.1.3 Impacts on Water Resources 118
8.1.4 Impacts on Floodplains 121
8.1.5 Impacts on Wetlands 121
8.1.6 Impacts on Vegetation 121
8.1.7 Impacts on Wildlife and Aquatic Life 122
8.1.8 Impacts on Threatened, Endangered, or Special Concern Species 123
8.1.9 Cumulative Impacts on Natural Resources 123
8.2 Cultural Resources 125
8.2.1 Impacts on Archaeological Resources 125
8.2.2 Impacts on Paleontological Resources 126
8.23 Impacts on Historic Resources 126
8.2.4 Cumulative Impacts on Cultural Resources 127
8.3 Socioeconomic Environment 127
8.3.1 Impacts on Population, Economy and Land Use 127
8.3.2 Impacts on Transportation 128
8.3.3 Impacts on Visual Resources 129
8.3.4 Impacts on Noise 135
8.3.5 Cumulative Impacts on the Socioeconomic Environment 138
8.4 Impacts on Visitor Use 139
9.0 IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE 2 - I SSUANCE OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT WITH PERMIT
CONDITIONS 142
9.1 Natural Resources 142
9.1.1 Impacts on Air Quality 142
9.1.2 Impacts on Topography, Geology and Soils 142
9.1.3 Impacts on Water Resources 143
9.1.4 Impacts on Floodplains 143
9.1.5 Impacts on Wetlands 143
9.1.6 Impacts on Vegetation 143
9.1.7 Impacts on Wildlife and Aquatic Life 144
9.1.8 Impacts on Threatened, Endangered, or Special Concern Species 145
9.1.9 Cumulative Impacts on Natural Resources 145
9.2 Cultural Resources 146
9.2.1 Impacts on Archaeological Resources 146
9.2.2 Impacts on Paleontological Resources 146
9.2.3 Impacts on Historic Resources 147
9.2.4 Cumulative Impacts on Cultural Resources 147
9.3 Socioeconomic Environment 147
9.3.1 Impacts on Population, Economy and Land Use 147
9.3.2 Impacts on Transportation 148
9.3.3 Impacts on Visual Resources 148
9.3.4 Impacts on Noise 151
9.3.5 Cumulative Impacts on the Socioeconomic Environment 151
9.4 Impacts to Visitor Use 152
10.0 IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE 3 - D ENIAL OF NPS PERMIT 153
10.1 Natural Resources 153
10.1.1 Impacts on Air Quality 153
10.1.2 Impacts on Topography, Geology and Soils 157
10.1.3 Impacts on Water Resources 157
10.1.4 Impacts on Floodplains 157
10.1.5 Impacts on Wetlands 158
10.1.6 Impacts on Vegetation 158
10.1.7 Impacts on Wildlife and Aquatic Life 158
10.1.8 Impacts on Threatened, Endangered, or Special Concern Species 159
10.1.9 Cumulative Impacts on Natural Resources 159
10.2 Cultural Resources 160
10.2.1 Impacts on Archaeological Resources 160
10.2.2 Impacts on Paleontological Resources 160
10.2.3 Impacts on Historic Resources 160
10.2.4 Cumulative Impacts on Cultural Resources 161
10.3 Socioeconomic Environment 161
10.3.1 Impacts on Population, Economy and Land Use 161
10.3.2 Impacts on Transportation 162
10.3.3 Impacts on Visual Resources 162
10.3.4 Impacts to Noise 163
10.3.5 Cumulative Impacts on the Socioeconomic Environment 163
10.4 Impacts to Visitor Use 164
11.0 PREPARERS OF DOCUMENT 166
12.0 ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONS CONSULTED 168
13.0 REFERENCES 169
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
http://archive.org/details/calabasaslandfilOOnati
LIST OF TABLES PAGE
Table 3-1: Existing Major Landfills in Los Angeles County 14
Table 3-2: Liquid and Hazardous Waste Materials Received at the Calabasas Landfill 16
Table 3-3: Summary of Materials Diverted at the Calabasas Landfill 19
Table 3-4: Current Operating Permits for the Calabasas Landfill 26
Table 5-1: Matrix of Impacts for All Alternatives 41
Table 5-2: Calabasas Landfill Permits 45
Table 6-1: Annual Precipitation at the Calabasas Landfill 51
Table 6-2: Ambient Air Quality Standards 56
Table 6-3: Ambient Air Monitoring Results at the Calabasas Landfill
in Comparison to Background Levels in the Los Angeles Air Basin 57
Table 6-4: Landfill Gas Flare Combustion Emissions 58
Table 6-5: Surface Gas Monitoring Results - F irst Quarter 1996 59
Table 6-6: Surface Water Quality Summary 65
Table 6-7: MCL Exceedances at Surface Water Sampling Locations (1989-1995) 67
Table 6-8: Groundwater Quality Parameters per Order 89-053 70
Table 6-9: Current Groundwater Monitoring Parameters 71
Table 6-10 Constituents of Concern 72
Table 6-1 1 Barrier Water Quality Summary 73
Table 6-12 Barrier 1 - C ompounds Which Exceeded the MCLs in 1995 77
Table 6-13 Barrier 2 - C ompounds Which Exceeded the MCLs in 1995 78
Table 6-14 Barrier 5 - C ompounds Which Exceeded the MCLs in 1 995 79
Table 6-15 Barrier 6 - C ompounds Which Exceeded the MCLs in 1 995 79
Table 6-16 Contaminants Detected in Sediment Sampling 80
Table 6-17 Existing Landscape Plant List for the Calabasas Landfill 84
Table 6-18 Status of Threatened, Endangered, or Special Concern Species Identified as
Potentially Occurring at or in the Vicinity of the Calabasas Landfill 90
Table 6-19 National, State and County Population and Employment 95
Table 6-20 Ventura Freeway Corridor Areawide Plan Study Area Population and Employment 96
Table 6-21 Projected Annual Rates of Local and Regional Growth 96
Table 6-22 City of Calabasas Comparison of Existing Land Use
and General Plan Build Out Land Use 98
Table 6-23 Proposed or Planned Area Projects 1 00
Table 6-24 Traffic Volumes on the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101 102
Table 6-25 Existing Intersection Levels of Service 1 03
Table 6-26 Average Daily Vehicle Volume Entering the Calabasas Landfill (1995) 104
Table 6-27 Calabasas Landfill Average Number of Customers per Hour 1 04
Table 6-28 Traffic Volumes at the Intersection of Lost Hills Road and E Street 1 05
Table 6-29 Sound Levels of Typical Noise Sources and Noise Environments 1 08
Table 6-30 Los Angeles County Exterior Noise Standards 1 09
Table 6-31 Noise Monitoring Results (in Leq) 110
Table 8-1: Projected Landfill Gas Combustion Emissions in 201 8 115
Table 8-2: Existing Vegetation in Future Fill Area 1 22
Table 8-3: Comparison of Viewpoints Suggested During Scoping
with Viewpoints Presented in the EA 134
Table 8-4: Summary of Calculated Future Noise Levels (in dBA) 136
Table 8-5: Total Future Simulated Sound Levels (dBA) 137
Table 10-1 Projected Daily Increase in Vehicle Emissions from Scenario 1 :
Transporting Refuse to Alternate In-County Landfill 155
Table 1 0-2: Projected Daily Air Emissions from Disposal Scenario 2:
Disposal of Refuse at Out-of-County Landfill 1 56
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit # Exhibit Description Document Section
2-1 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 2.1
2-2 Simi Hills Comprehensive Design Plan Study Area 2.3.6
3-1 Location of Major Los Angeles Area Landfills 3.1
3-2 Calabasas Landfill Site Plan 3.2
3-3 Approximate Limit of Hazardous Waste Disposal 3.2
3-4 Ancillary Facilities Location Map 3.2
3-5 Locations of Ambient Air Samplers and Weather Station 3.2.1
3-6 Locations of Gas Migration Monitoring Probes and 3.2.1
Neighborhood Monitoring
3-7 Cross-Section of Subsurface Barrier System 3.2.1
3-8 Typical Barrier As-built Cross-Section 3.2. 1
3-9 Locations of Subsurface Barriers and Groundwater
Monitoring Wells 3.2.1
3-10 Liner Areas 3.2.1
3-11 Cross-Section of Liner System 4 3.2.1
3-12 Surface Water Monitoring Locations 3.2.1
5-1 Final Fill Plan Denoting Areas to be Disturbed 5.1
5-2 Potential Landfill Sites in Los Angeles County 5.3
6-1 Schematic of Ridge Cut and Refuse Fill 6.1.2
6-2 Site Hydrology and Drainage 6.1.3
6-3 General Location of Sediment Sampling 6. 1 .3
6-4 National Wetlands Inventory Map 6.1.5
6-5 Biological Resources Assessment Study Area 6.1.6
6-6 Vegetation Types 6.1.6
6-7 Paleontological Resources Assessment Study Area 6.2.2
6-8 Ventura Freeway Areawide Plan Study Area 6.3.1
6-9 Land Use within One Mile of the Calabasas Landfill 6.3.1
6-10 Los Angeles County General Plan Land Use Policy Map 6.3.1
6-1 1 City of Calabasas: General Plan Study Area 6.3.1
6-12 Approved or Proposed Area Projects 6.3.1
6-13 Access and Egress Location Map 6.3.2
6-14 Aerial Oblique View Looking to the Northeast 6.3.3
6-15 Aerial Oblique View Looking to the West 6.3.3
6-16 Noise Monitoring Locations 6.3.4
8-1 Calabasas Landfill Final Fill Plan 8.1.2
8-2 Viewpoint Locations 8.3.3
8-2A Viewpoint 1: Existing Conditions - Cheeseboro Canyon Trail 8.3.3
8-2B Viewpoint 1: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 1 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2C Viewpoint 2: Existing Conditions - Baleen Wall Trail 8.3.3
8-2D Viewpoint 2: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 2 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2E Viewpoint 3: Existing Conditions - Main Trailhead into
Cheeseboro Canyon 8.3.3
8-2F Viewpoint 3: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 3 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2G Viewpoint 4: Existing Conditions - Westbound Ventura Freeway 8.3.3
8-2H Viewpoi nt 4: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 4 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-21 Viewpoi nt 5: Existing Conditions - Saratoga Ranch Development 8.3.3
8-2J Viewpoi nt 5: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 5 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2K Viewpoi nt 6: Existing Conditions - Liberty Canyon Community 8.3.3
8-2L Viewpoi nt 6: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 6 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2M Viewpoi nt 7: Existing Conditions - Radisson Hotel in Agoura Hills 8.3.3
8-2N Viewpoi nt 7: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 7 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-20 Viewpoi nt 8: Existing Conditions - Lupin Hill Elementary School 8.3.3
8-2P Viewpo nt 8: Visual Simulation of Viewpoint 8 at Landfill Closure 8.3.3
8-2Q Viewpo nt 8: Visual Simulation Viewpoint 8 at Landfill Closure
with the Malibu Terrace Development 8.3.3
8-3 Viewpoints 9 and 10: View of Calabasas Landfill from
Mulholland Highway and Piuma Road 8.3.3
8-4 Viewpoint 11: View of Calabasas Landfill from Morrison Ranch 8.3.3
8-5 Final Fill Elevations and Working Face Locations
for Noise Modeling 8.3.4
8-6 Noise Receptor Locations for Noise Modeling 8.3.4
