Dive Brief:

• Sonoma County, California may be fined $10,000 per day, and $10 per gallon over 1,000 gallons, if water runoff from the compost facility at the county landfill is not stopped. 
• Regulators have ordered that the facility must stop the waste water discharge from reaching creeks in the area by October 1.
• The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency has been under orders since last year to prevent the compost water from entering the waterways. Officials are concerned with the "lack of progress" in addressing the issue before the next rainy season begins.

Dive Insight:

The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, the county and the operator of the landfill (Republic Services) have all been discussing compost compliance issues together. The waste agency has the license to operate the facility, but the county is responsible for landfill operations compliance. Short-term solutions include building holding ponds, reducing the volume of the composting operations and covering the piles of organics to keep the rainwater from saturating the materials.