Residents living near the Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano are raising alarms over dust, odors, and potential health impacts stemming from the facility's operations and a proposal to double its daily trash intake. The expansion plan has stalled amid significant objections from local communities and inquiries from regulatory agencies.
Anika Atkins, who moved to San Juan Capistrano in May with her daughter, reported developing asthma and suffering from atypical pneumonia within months of arriving. She found her home’s air filters accumulating significant amounts of dirt, prompting concerns about the air quality in the area. "I’ve never had any kind of bronchitis, any kind of issue with my lungs, so that wasn’t even on my radar. I didn’t even really think about the landfill,” Atkins told Voice of OC. “That’s kind of scary. That just isn’t something I expected.” Her experience, while not establishing a direct causal link to landfill operations, mirrors complaints from other nearby residents who describe dust settling on their homes and reporting symptoms such as coughing and eye irritation.
County officials have greenlit a physical expansion of the landfill, involving hillside blasting and excavation to create more space for waste disposal. However, a separate proposal to increase the landfill’s permitted daily intake from 4,000 tons to 8,000 tons—the facility currently receives about 2,600 tons per day—is facing considerable pushback. This proposed increase is occurring as Orange County plans for the eventual closure of the Olinda Alpha Landfill by 2036, with waste expected to be redirected to Prima Deshecha and the Bowerman Landfill.
Neighbors argue that the ongoing construction has already exacerbated conditions. They are calling for independent air quality testing and enhanced dust control measures. The South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Juan Capistrano city officials, and the California Department of Transportation have raised questions about the expansion, contributing to the delay in a decision by the county supervisors. Both candidates vying to represent the Fifth Supervisorial District, which encompasses the landfill, have indicated that community concerns warrant further attention.
Ellen Vinck, president of the Rancho San Juan Homeowners Association board, stated that while she was aware of the landfill when she moved to the area, conditions have significantly worsened since expansion work began. She described dust accumulating on patios and requiring frequent cleaning, along with additional expenses for the association, such as storm drain repairs. Sonya Stockwell, a resident of over three decades, reported that both her dogs developed coughs concurrently after the expansion work commenced, and she maintains air filters in every room of her house, which quickly become dirty.
Tracy Sutherland, an organizer opposing the increased waste deliveries, expressed concern over dust affecting her son's baseball practices at a nearby high school. "My son is practicing baseball and all around the dugouts and everything there’s a thick, thick dust,” Sutherland told Voice of OC. “I’m worried because my kid could possibly be breathing all these plumes of dirt that I see flying into this community. What is my kid inhaling?” Residents like Sutherland are advocating for a third-party entity to monitor neighborhood air quality before any decision is made on the increased waste volume. Hundreds of objections have been filed, citing odors, dust, and debris on La Pata Highway.
OC Waste and Recycling spokesperson Francine Bangert stated that the department uses three water trucks daily, spraying 200,000 gallons to mitigate dust, and is evaluating the effectiveness of these measures and considering permanent misting systems. "Our team continues to monitor site conditions and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures to determine whether adjustments are needed,” Bangert said.
