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July 29 open house planned to discuss former Middletown geothermal landfill
The open house will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 29, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.
The meeting is to discuss the former Geothermal Inc. landfill, located at 19020 Butts Canyon Road in Middletown. The site is part of a 460-acre property now owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
The site consists of a 15-acre unlined closed landfill surrounded by eucalyptus tree plantations on three sides. The larger property consists of open space and includes the small man-made lake called Freeman Lake.
The water board reported that from 1976 to 1986, a variety of companies and agencies used the site to dispose of nonhazardous drilling wastes generated from exploratory drilling, geothermal well development, and plant operations at the nearby Geysers geothermal steamfield. Elevated
concentrations of boron, chloride, sulfate, and total dissolved solids were found in this waste. These constituents are non-hazardous and occur naturally in local groundwater.
From 2003 to 2006, PG&E conducted closure activities to prevent human contact with the waste and ensure the long-term protection of surface and groundwater, including solar evaporation of 21 million gallons of pond water; closure of 30 acres of former waste evaporation ponds; and excavation, solidification and consolidation of 178,000 cubic yards of waste into a 15-acre landfill.
Closure activities address elevated concentrations of boron, chloride, sulfate and total dissolved solids found in shallow groundwater in the immediate vicinity of the landfill and provide long-term protection of human health and the environment.
The draft waste discharge requirements approve landfill closure activities; request further investigations/evaluations to study and further manage site drainage and runoff; and require post-closure maintenance activities, including ongoing monitoring of surface water and groundwater.
Community members are encouraged to offer input on the plan during the public comment period, which began on July 15 and continues until 5 p.m. Aug. 13.
Comments can be sent to Brad Shelton, P.G., Central Valley Water Board, 11020 Sun Center Drive #200, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board will hold a public hearing on the updated waste discharge requirements beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 10 and 11 at Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave.
For more information on the site and the recent updates, see the documents published below.
July 2019 - Geothermal Inc. Landfill Facility Fact Sheet by LakeCoNews on Scribd
July 2019 - Geothermal Inc. landfill facility project update by LakeCoNews on Scribd