By Jason KUROSU

The Scholl Canyon Landfill will have part of its irrigation system replaced after the Glendale City Council recently approved a slope repair project for the inactive portion of the landfill.

The city council approved the Scholl Canyon slope repair project at its Tuesday night meeting, which will see the replacement of an irrigation system that officials say has deteriorated, leading to repeated leaks and pipe breaks.

The project will also involve regrading of part of the landfill’s surface to improve drainage.

City of Glendale Public Works Director Roubik Golanian said, “Due to continuous sunlight, exposure of the irrigation and the surface water drainage facilities have been damaged” and is “in need of repair so we can keep a sufficient level of vegetation on the slope and prevent further degradation of the slopes.”

According to a city staff report, settling of the slope has altered the site’s drainage structures such that erosion has increased dramatically, causing “water to flow in uncontrolled directions. In order to preserve the integrity of the former landfill slopes and maintain compliance with regulations, erosion mitigation measures must be improved.”

A $385,000 construction contract was awarded to Los Angeles Engineering, Inc. for the project.

Opposition to expanding the 535-acre landfill continues, as residents worry that negative impacts to the environment, including air quality and increased traffic, will result from any expansion.

Glendale shares the landfill’s space with the cities of Pasadena, La Cañada, Sierra Madre and San Marino. The city has explored options for vertical and/or horizontal expansion of the landfill, which could extend the lifespan of the site, as well as projects that would speed up the decomposition of organic waste materials.

However, Glendale City Manager Scott Ochoa said that discussions of the site’s future plans would be coming in the next few months.

“This is not the EIR,” said Ochoa on Tuesday. “Whether [the landfill is] open or closed, we have an obligation to maintain the integrity of the facility.”

The city council will also hold a Sept. 15 workboot meeting at the Scholl Canyon Landfill. Ochoa said that the EIR will be a central topic of that meeting, which is open to the public.

The slope repair project is expected to get underway next month with completion set for December.

  Jason Kurosu