Puente Hills Landfill facts for kids
The Puente Hills Landfill was once the biggest landfill in the United States. A landfill is a special place where trash, also known as waste, is carefully buried. This huge landfill was about 500 feet (152 meters) tall. It covered a massive area of 700 acres (2.8 square kilometers). That's like 530 football fields!
In 2005, the Puente Hills Landfill received about four million tons of trash. That's a lot of garbage! However, as of October 31, 2013, the landfill stopped taking new trash. It is no longer an active dumping site.
This large landfill is located in the Puente Hills area. This is in southeastern Los Angeles County, near Whittier, California. The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County own and operate the site. Nearby communities include Hacienda Heights to the east. Also close by are Avocado Heights and the City of Industry to the north.
Turning Trash into Power
Did you know that buried trash can make energy? As garbage breaks down, it creates a special gas called landfill gas. At Puente Hills, about 30,000 cubic feet of this gas is collected every minute.
This gas is sent to the Puente Hills Gas-to-Energy Facility. This amazing facility uses the gas to create electricity. It can generate more than 40 megawatts of power. That's enough electricity to power thousands of homes! This process helps turn something we throw away into useful energy.
Nature and Fun at the Landfill
Even though it was a landfill, the Puente Hills site has a natural side. The Puente Hills Landfill offers tours to visitors. These tours help people learn about the landfill and its operations.
There is also a special group called the Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority. This group works to protect and restore nature in the Puente Hills. They buy land to keep it as open space. Their goal is to protect the many different plants and animals that live there. They also create chances for outdoor education. People can enjoy low-impact activities like hiking in these preserved areas. It's a way to turn a former landfill into a place for nature and learning.
