Santa Barbara County has given some key approvals towards modernizing the county’s dump, radically increasing the amount of waste recycled, which will extend the facility’s life for an additional decade.
The Tajiguas Landfill in the mountains near Gaviota has handled the bulk of Santa Barbara County’s solid waste for nearly a half century. Based on current use, it would close in 2026. But, the addition of state of the art recycling and composting facilities could add another decade to its useful life.
Santa Barbara County Supervisors approved the environmental impact report, and other elements of a plan that’s been under development for nearly a decade. County Supervisor Doreen Farr says the project will put the county on the cutting edge of increasing strange state solid waste disposal restrictions. The new facility would also convert some of the waste into energy, creating enough electricity to power about a thousand homes.
The project would cost an estimated $122 million dollars, but would be financed, and not come from the county’s general fund revenue. It’s estimated that average residential customer will pay about five dollars more a month for solid waste disposal, but county officials say it would be cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than shipping the garbage to other dumps in Santa Maria, or Simi Valley.
