Size: The 743-acre site supports a planned 311-acre recycling and landfill operations. The 250-acre Butterfly Trust habitat is protected under the 1986 Kirby Canyon Conservation Agreement. An additional 184 acres in the North Canyon area is also being established as a conservation area.
Permits: Kirby Canyon operates with a Solid Waste Facility Permit from CalRecycle, Title V Air Permit from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Waste Discharge Requirements from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. The City of San Jose Department of Planning and Code Enforcement is the designated local enforcement agency.
Capacity: The solid waste landfill is permitted to accept 2,600 tons of material per day. Based on current disposal volume rates, Kirby Canyon is estimated to be in operation until 2059 and beyond.
Landfilling
Materials that cannot be diverted for recycling are disposed at the working face of the landfill. The modern landfill cell is engineered to protect the environment. It features state-of-the-art liners, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring and extensive landfill gas collection and control systems.
Throughout the day, heavy equipment operators crush and compact the waste into the disposal cell. This process forms a tightly packed layer of waste, reduces settlement and conserves landfill space. At the end of each day, bulldozers spread a layer of compacted soil or alternative cover (such as sludge mixed with wood waste) over the exposed garbage. This daily cover, required by law, keeps the waste in place, deters scavenging by animals, helps repel rainwater and minimizes odors.
Gas Collection
Landfill gas is a natural bi-product of landfills. It is produced by the decomposition of organic matter placed in the landfill. Landfill gas is primarily composed of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Kirby Canyon collects the gas through an extensive network of wells and pipelines and destroys it by burning the gas in a flare at temperatures in excess of 1,450° F.
