Challenging a $70B Waste Corporation Over Water Pollution
What WeDiscard
Pay-It-Forward Grant
A landfill built on marshland is leaking toxic chemicals into the San Francisco Bay — where people walk, fish, and spend time with their families. Republic Services knows and has the capacity to stop it. But it hasn't. Now the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) is suing to force real solutions.
Overview
Drivers of Outrage
Opened in 1953, the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill (WCCSL) was built on marshland along San Pablo Bay. Today, it is surrounded by water and crossed by the Bay Trail — a public path used daily for recreation. The landfill is owned and operated by entities that are wholly owned subsidiaries of Republic Services, Inc., the second-largest waste disposal company in the United States. Sampling indicates the…
≥17Years discharging
Unlawful discharges have allegedly been occurring every day since at least May 2, 2020.
+30Hazardous Pollutants
Testing detected chemicals including PFAS, arsenic, cyanide, and industrial solvents linked to cancer and other health risks.
+17XSafety limits
Monitoring data found 1,4-dioxane levels more than 17x higher than EPA safety limits.
≥17Years discharging
Unlawful discharges have allegedly been occurring every day since at least May 2, 2020.
+30Hazardous Pollutants
Testing detected chemicals including PFAS, arsenic, cyanide, and industrial solvents linked to cancer and other health risks.
+17XSafety limits
Monitoring data found 1,4-dioxane levels more than 17x higher than EPA safety limits.
Funding the Action
The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) has filed suit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), alleging ongoing violations at the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill. To pursue this enforcement action effectively, CSPA is raising funds to retain independent experts who can evaluate site conditions, analyze sampling and monitoring data, advise on settlement strategy, and provide expert testimony throughout the litigation.
Potential Outcomes
The lawsuit seeks to require the landfill's owners — including Republic Services, Inc. — to address and eliminate the pollution affecting surrounding groundwater and bay waters, and to protect both the environment and human health. CSPA and its experts believe that meaningfully addressing the leachate releases at WCCSL will require significant investment, including increased pumping and treatment of leachate…
People around this country should care about this case precisely because we have 10,000 closed landfills across the country, and Republic Services themselves own 125 of [them].”
The Bigger Picture
Timeline
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit conservation organization. CSPA was established in 1983 for the purpose of conserving, restoring, and enhancing the state's water quality, wildlife and fishery resources, aquatic ecosystems, and associated riparian habitats. To further these goals, CSPA actively seeks federal, state, and local agency implementation of…
Emailcshutes@calsport.org
URLcalsport.org