When it comes to managing waste, some may think: “What could be simpler than dirt?”
Actually, options, restrictions and costs make the topic complicated. For example, one disposal site in Ventura County, the Toland Road Landfill, does not accept commercial dirt at any price, and residential loads are accepted only from a limited geographic area with a clean soil certification.
Calling your curbside refuse hauler for this special collection is an option, but due to weight limitations, dirt must be hauled in a “low-boy” roll-off box loaded no more than 18 inches from the bottom. The maximum capacity is 10 tons, and haulers typically charge a $200 flat rate plus delivery and pickup fees. If the hauler determines the load has too much rock, vegetation or garbage, costs increase to more than $70 per ton.
Hauling the dirt yourself can save money. Some local facilities accepting concrete and asphalt for recycling are also options for dirt. However, sites such as Tapo Rock and Sand in Simi Valley and Santa Paula Materials will not accept dirt if it contains roots, branches or excessive amounts of clay.
Tapo Rock and Sand charges $175 to accept clean dirt loads from pickup trucks, trailers or bobtail trucks. Santa Paula Materials charges just $100 per load for pickup trucks or bobtails.
Agromin, with sites near Oxnard and Santa Paula, composts yard clippings but rejects vehicles with loads containing too much dirt. However, customers disclosing the dirt upon arrival or by prior arrangement can pay a $110 special handling fee and dump their load. This fee is added to the $61.94 per ton cost to accept yard clippings, with loads of less than half a ton charged a flat fee of $35.
Peach Hill Soils, a composter near Moorpark, charges $58.50 per ton to accept clean soil, with a $25 minimum fee.
The major local sorting facilities, Gold Coast Recycling & Transfer Station in Ventura and Del Norte Regional Recycling & Transfer Station in Oxnard, accept dirt but do not offer a discount compared to the price of garbage.
The Simi Valley Landfill & Recycling Center and the Chiquita Canyon landfill in the Castaic area accept dirt, but only the Simi Valley site offers a discount compared to the price of garbage. These sites may also require documentation of soil testing. Loads with excessive hydrocarbons might still be accepted at the landfills, but these “impacted soils” must be placed in specially protected and monitored portions of the facilities, with additional charges applied.
Soils contaminated with more potent chemicals cannot be disposed locally. Soil from excavation at an airport, for example, was contaminated with jet fuel and had to be hauled to the Kettleman Hills Hazardous Waste Facility in Kings County, according to Alex McDonald, project coordinator of California Earth Transport.
Last month, Matt Kulon, a nurse who lives in Ventura, was working on a major landscaping job in his backyard and needed to get rid of several cubic yards of dirt. Since he was already buying stone and renting a truck from Home Depot, he loaded the truck with dirt and brought to load to Gold Coast Recycling. After paying $66 per ton to dump that first load, he was eager to find other options. Fortunately, his friend in Carpinteria had just removed some trees and needed dirt to refill the holes.
This illustrates the best option for small loads. Find someone who needs dirt by posting your available material on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp and NextDoor. Sites such as Freedirt.com, cleanfillwanted.com and dirtgeo.com are also helpful. Sometimes, just a “free dirt” sign at a curbside can attract neighbors’ help in finding reuse opportunities.
For larger loads, such as dirt from building a swimming pool, contractors simply passing on their costs to the homeowner may not diligently pursue options. But a contractor working to save money will know local options for large-scale dirt reuse, such as Bob’s Backhoe and Hauling, Steve Nuttel Trucking and Lynch Land and Cattle. Calling nurseries, landscaping or construction companies can also reveal opportunities.
Moving significant amounts of soil often requires a grading permit, especially near waterways, on a slope or in sensitive ecological, archeological or scenic areas, so contact your local permitting authority before beginning work.
David Goldstein, an environmental resource analyst with the Ventura County Public Works Agency, can be reached at 805-658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.
