City Supports Landfill Plan

Moving the city one step closer to entering what’s been described as a turnkey waste-management solution, councilmembers voted unanimously in support of a publicly financed, Santa Barbara County–owned, and privately constructed and operated facility at Tajiguas Landfill that aims to sort and turn a buck from thrown-out recyclables and foodstuff while keeping rate hikes nominal. Such diversion is projected to extend the life of the landfill to 2038 while harnessing income from recyclables that inevitably end up in trash cans and composting organic waste into soil amendments and mulch that could be given away or sold. On 7/12, the county’s supervisorial board will be considering the environmental impact report and final contract with facility vendor MSB Investors, which had originally taken on the project as a private endeavor until cost estimates forecasted considerable rate hikes.