Engineering Support Services

CalRecycle’s Engineering Support Branch provides continuous technical support regarding solid waste facilities and sites to other CalRecycle units, consultants, the regulated industry, the public, and all levels of governmental agencies.

Specific topics include the engineering and regulatory aspects of:

  • Landfill design
  • Landfill closure
  • Landfill postclosure maintenance
  • Landfill postclosure land use
  • Landfill gas monitoring and remediation
  • Site investigation
  • Site remediation
  • Engineering project cost estimating

Areas of Assistance

Solid Waste and Tire Cleanup Unit

Support for regulatory agencies, land management agencies, and responsible parties to clean up and remediate old landfills and illegal disposal sites. The programs and assistance provided are as follows:

Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program

The cleanups of legacy landfills and illegal disposal sites where:

  • The responsible party either cannot be identified or is unwilling or unable to pay for timely remediation, and
  • The cleanup is needed to protect public health and safety and/or the environment.

Funding in the form of grants and loans to eligible applicants to finance a wide range of remediation projects is available.

The program is also unique in that CalRecycle can provide direct cleanup assistance utilizing its own contractors in specific circumstances.

CalRecycle-Managed Cleanups

CalRecycle’s Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program is unique in that CalRecycle can provide direct cleanup assistance utilizing its own contractors to assist entities like cities, counties, and public agencies with illegal disposal site cleanup projects they cannot solely manage.

For more information, contact CleanupProgram@calrecycle.ca.gov 

Closed, Illegal, and Abandoned Sites Section

Provides statewide technical support to Local Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on the inspection, investigation, remediation, and enforcement of legacy (disposal sites that ceased operating prior to January 1, 1988), abandoned, and illegal disposal sites to protect public health, safety, and the environment.

Closure and Technical Support Unit

The Closure and Technical Support Unit (CTSU) provides services and assistance to LEAs on the implementation of regulations and statutes to protect public health, safety, and the environment that apply to permitted landfills. 

Services to solid waste LEAs, site owner/operators, and other interested parties:

  1. Review and approval of landfill closure, plans, postclosure maintenance plans, and closure certification plans and provides guidance on closure permits.
  2. Review and approval of landfill gas monitoring and remediation plans.
  3. Review and approval of non-water release corrective action plans.
  4. Provides technical assistance on postclosure land use projects.
  5. Guidance on inspection and enforcement at closed and closing landfills.
  6. Review and approval of Landfill Status Impact Reports (SIR).
  7. For more information contact: LEA Support Services, PermitTrainingAssistance@calrecycle.ca.gov.