Solid waste landfills: subsurface temperatures.

Assembly Member Schiavo's municipal solid waste landfill monitoring legislation establishes a three-tiered system for detecting and responding to elevated underground gas temperatures. The measure requires landfill operators to monitor gas temperatures and take increasingly stringent corrective actions when temperatures exceed specific thresholds for extended periods.

Under the bill's framework, operators must notify authorities within 48 hours when gas temperatures reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit for two consecutive monthly periods. At this first tier, operators must conduct root cause analysis, implement corrective action plans, and provide regular temperature reporting. If temperatures climb to 146 degrees, additional requirements include public notifications to nearby residents and formation of a multi-agency coordination group to oversee response efforts. At 162 degrees, authorities may suspend operating permits and impose penalties up to $1 million per week if the elevated temperatures pose substantial public health risks.

The legislation creates the Landfill Subsurface Fire Mitigation Account to collect penalties from non-compliant operators. These funds would support efforts to address impacts on communities affected by sustained high temperatures at landfill sites. The State Air Resources Board must establish mandatory temperature monitoring regulations, while the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery will develop minimum standards for identifying and managing elevated temperature events by July 2027.