SUBJECT: Silverado Fire Update
November 5, 2020
Waste Management is currently working to service all customers as scheduled on their regular collection service day. As a result of the Silverado Fire which occurred last week, Frank R. Bowerman Landfill, located in the City of Irvine and owned and operated by the County of Orange (OC Waste & Recycling), has experienced significant damage and has been closed since Monday, October 26th. Since day one of the fire, Waste Management has made requests to the County of Orange to make exceptions to the Waste Disposal Agreement administered by the County of Orange, which requires all waste to be buried in Orange County. To date, the County of Orange has refused. Waste Management has continued to make this request to the County of Orange. Without this exception, and the landfill remaining temporarily closed possibly through the end of November, all municipal solid waste must continue to be hauled to the remaining open landfills which are Prima Desecha Landfill, located in San Juan Capistrano, and Olinda Alpha Landfill, located in Brea.
Waste Management, among other haulers within Orange County, is currently working to mitigate through the challenges associated with the temporary closure of the local landfill, however extended drive times and lengthy wait times at facilities are affecting some of our collection routes and some customers may experience service delays. Waste Management endeavors to proactively provide communications to all customers affected and service collection will be provided as soon as possible. It is Waste Management’s goal to collect all materials no later than the next service day to this unforeseen event. Waste Management is working as quickly as possible to find alternative solutions in order to further reduce and eliminate any service impacts to our valued customers.
Waste Management highly values our ability to service the City of Irvine and we remain committed to providing quality service to each customer. We apologize for any service inconvenience that may be experienced and we sincerely thank each customer for your understanding and patience through this unforeseen event.
Sincerely,
Waste Management of Orange County