Community Oversight

CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR THE SYNAGRO TECHNOLOGIES INC. (RECYC INC.) REGIONAL COMPOSTING FACILITY

COMMITTEE FORMATION BACKGROUND

Synagro owns and operates a sludge (biosolids) composting facility in Temescal Canyon in western Riverside County near the City of Corona. This facility, known and permitted as Synagro Regional Composting Facility (RCF) receives biosolids from sewage treatment facilities in Riverside County as well as from several surrounding counties. They are currently limited to 500 tons per day (tpd) of biosolids. The RCF composts bio-solids with stable wastes to produce a variety of soil amendments sold for commercial use and retail sale.

Recyc was first issued a Solid Waste Facilities Permit in 1989 by the Local Solid Waste Management Agency (LEA) for the County of Riverside. This state permit was issued with the concurrence of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). The Department of Environmental Health is certified by CIWMB to permit and enforce state laws and regulations pertaining to solid waste facilities. As such, the LEA conducts monthly inspections of RCF to ensure compliance with the conditions of its permit. Included as permit conditions are Recyc's compliance with state regulations for composting and EPA regulations for composting sludge.

In 1996 RECYC obtained approval from the Board of Supervisors for a number of changes to its Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Most significant, was Recyc's request to increase their limit on import of daily tonnage of biosolids from 500 tpd to 1232 tpd. Many concerns from citizens were raised with respect to the facility's history of generating objectionable odors, which impacted residential, and business lifestyles. Moreover, there was concern that the responsible regulatory agencies could not adequately enforce the CUP's conditions. In response, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors (Board) created this committee as an additional condition of the CUP to address those concerns.

*Recyc Inc., was sold to Synagro Technologies in 1998

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Appointed by Supervisor Bob Buster, First District:
Vacant, Committee Chair
Michele Randall
Vacant

Appointed by Supervisor John Tavaglione, Second District:
John Krick
Vacant

Representing Synagro Technologies as a nonvoting member:
John Goodwin, General Manager

Lorrie Loder, Community Relations

Staff to the Committee:
Department of Environmental Health

MISSION STATEMENT

The Citizens Oversight Committee for The Synagro Regional Composting Facility (RCF) is dedicated to providing a forum for good faith constructive dialog between those parties impacted by the facility namely, the Public, the Operator and the responsible Regulatory Agencies. The Committee becomes a pipeline to the Board of Supervisors and the Public. The focus of this interaction will be to ensure that Synagro and the regulatory agencies meet their obligations under the permits issued and that impacts from the operation of RCF will be minimized.