West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill, California

The West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill (WCCSL) in North Richmond is one of the largest and oldest continuously active landfills on the Bay. It serves communities all along the south shore of San Pablo Bay, from Crockett to parts of Berkeley. The pile, started as bay fill in 1952, is approaching its permitted terminal height of 235 feet. Due to compaction caused by the weight of the mound, the waste extends 25 feet below sea level. Like most landfills in the Bay Area, WCCSL is privately owned and operated, in this case by Republic Services, Inc., which in addition to owning landfills across the country, also owns the National and Alamo car rental chains, as well as the used car chain AutoNation.