Is Stanislaus County running out of landfill space? How much trash do we make? What to know
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Talking Trash in Modesto
A multi-part series by The Modesto Bee
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Can my neighbor dump garbage in my can? Modesto’s rules on broken, stolen or misused bins
How often does Modesto perform garbage can inspections? Here’s what city officials say
Is Stanislaus County running out of landfill space? How much trash do we make? What to know
Will garbage pickup be delayed this holiday season in Modesto? Keep these dates in mind
Are you properly disposing of pet waste in Modesto? Here’s what the city says to do
Editor’s note: This is the third in a multi-part series about waste disposal in the Modesto area.
Have you ever wondered where your trash goes after it’s hauled away on collection day in Stanislaus County?
Food waste and yard trimmings placed in the green organics bin are taken to a compost facility, where they’re transformed into nutrient-rich compost for use by local farms or residents.
Meanwhile, cans, bottles and other items in the blue recycling bin are transported to transfer stations, where they’re processed into recycled-content products.
Trash tossed in the black waste container is sent to a waste-to-energy facility, where it is burned to generate electricity, or directed to the county landfill.
How much trash do Stanislaus County residents produce? Can the county landfill handle it all?
Here’s what county officials said:
How many landfills are in Stanislaus County?
According to the Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources, there is one active landfill within county limits.
The Fink Road Sanitary Landfill, 4000 Fink Road in Crows Landing, is owned by Stanislaus County and is operated by the Environmental Resources Department.
“The landfill has been providing municipal solid waste services to Ceres, Hughson, Modesto, Newman, Oakdale, Patterson, Riverbank, Turlock, Waterford and the unincorporated areas of Stanislaus County since its opening in 1973,” the county website says.
The landfill is open to the public, including private residents, businesses, school districts and local government agencies.
How do landfills work?
A modern landfill is a carefully engineered facility designed to contain solid waste while preventing contamination of air and groundwater.
In contrast, a garbage dump is an “unmanaged pile of refuse,” lacking measures to control environmental impacts or scavengers, the county website says.
The Fink Road Sanitary Landfill is a Class III facility designated for the disposal of nonhazardous municipal solid waste.
Is Stanislaus County landfill running out of space?
Robert Kostlivy, director of the Stanislaus County Environmental Resources Department, said the county has contracts that dictate the amount of waste that can either go to the the Covanta plant, which is a waste-to-energy facility near Interstate 5 in Crows Landing, or the landfill.
“Haulers do have the option to deliver outside the county when they have met their tonnage obligations or when the landfill is unable to receive their waste,” Kostlivy wrote in an email to The Modesto Bee.
The Fink Road Sanitary Landfill is permitted to handle up to 2,400 tons of waste per day.
It typically receives around 1,200 to 1,400 tons daily, or an average of 7,700 tons per week.
“This amount can fluctuate and these amounts are approximations,” Kostlivy said.
Although the landfill was originally expected to operate until 2050, he said, the projected end date has been revised to around 2040 due to the impending closure of the Covanta plant, which will cease operations in December.
“As mentioned at the (Stanislaus County) Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, we are in the beginning stages of the planning process to expand our landfill due to the shortened expected lifespan,” he said.
The Environmental Resources Department plans to increase staffing, equipment and operating hours at the Fink Road Landfill to manage the influx of additional waste following the closure of the Covanta plant.
When is Stanislaus County landfill open?
The Fink Road Sanitary Landfill is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. year round, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and after noon on Christmas Eve.
What garbage does Stanislaus County landfill accept?
The Fink Road Sanitary Landfill accepts most industrial, commercial and residential waste, including:
- Household and commercial garbage
- Construction debris
- Roofing materials
- Non-friable asbestos, with an approval letter from the county Department of Environmental Resources and is accepted Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Treated wood waste
- Animal remains
- Concrete and inert materials
The landfill does not accept the following:
- Car bodies
- Septic tank waste
- Liquid waste, including sludge, paints, thinners and used oils
- Cannery waste
- Closed containers
- Household batteries
- Car batteries
- Fluorescent light bulbs
What questions do you have about Modesto’s waste systems?
Trash is an unavoidable part of daily life in Modesto — but what happens after it’s collected remains a mystery for many.
Modesto, we’re here to answer your questions on waste — whether they’re about trash sorting, landfills or anything in between.
The Modesto Bee wants to know what’s on your mind.
You can submit questions directly to our reporters by emailing The Bee’s Angela Rodriguez at arodriguez@modbee.com, writing to our service journalism desk at servicejournalists@modbee.com, or filling out the form below.
You may be contacted by a Modesto Bee reporter.
