Puente Hills Landfill
Encyclopedia
Puente Hills Landfill is currently the largest landfill
in the United States, rising 150 meters high and covering 700 acres (2.8 km²). Puente Hills accepted four million tons of waste
in 2005. The landfill is located in the Puente Hills
, in southeastern Los Angeles County
near Whittier
, California
and is part of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. The closest urban communities are unincorporated Hacienda Heights
to the east, and unincorporated Avocado Heights
and the City of Industry
to the north.
to assess the validity of recycling
, and the television documentary series MegaStructures
focused on the landfill in the episode "Garbage Mountain".
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
in the United States, rising 150 meters high and covering 700 acres (2.8 km²). Puente Hills accepted four million tons of waste
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
in 2005. The landfill is located in the Puente Hills
Puente Hills
The Puente Hills is a chain of hills, one of the lower Transverse Ranges, in an unincorporated area in eastern Los Angeles County, California.-Geography:...
, in southeastern Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
near Whittier
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and is part of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. The closest urban communities are unincorporated Hacienda Heights
Hacienda Heights, California
Hacienda Heights is an unincorporated census-designated place in and below the Puente Hills of the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
to the east, and unincorporated Avocado Heights
Avocado Heights, California
Avocado Heights is an unincorporated census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies in the San Gabriel Valley, near Puente Hills. On the northern border lies the unincorporated community of West Puente Valley; on the eastern border the City of Industry...
and the City of Industry
Industry, California
Industry is an industrial suburb of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County. Home to over 2,500 businesses and 80,000 jobs, but only 219 residents at the 2010 census - down from 777 residents as of the 2000 United States census - the city is almost entirely industrial...
to the north.
Gas-To-Energy
The landfill gas created by the landfill is funneled to the 'Puente Hills Gas-To-Energy Facility', which generates 50 megawatts of electricity.Media
The landfill has gained some popular attention. Penn and Teller visited the landfill in an episode of their television program Bullshit!Bullshit!
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is an American documentary television series that aired from 2003 to 2010 on the premium cable channel Showtime. In Canada, the series aired on The Movie Network and Movie Central.- Overview :...
to assess the validity of recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, and the television documentary series MegaStructures
MegaStructures
MegaStructures is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel and Five in the United Kingdom, on France 5 in France and on 7mate in Australia....
focused on the landfill in the episode "Garbage Mountain".