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Response to Written Comments Page 2 of 3 07 June 2023 Forward Landfill, Inc. the expansion of the Republic Services Forward Landfill, however the expansion of their processing capabilities in the same footprint is just as harmful. I think that the RWQCB should consider putting on hold the expansion of processing capabilities of the Republic Services Forward Landfill. I own an adjacent orchard and I am very concerned with toxin intrusion into my property and how that will affect my well water, my health and my crops. It only makes sense that his expansion in processing is going to increase the amount of waste water discharge, because the root cause of the prior and current spills and leaks has not been mitigated. RESPONSE: The revised WDRs, following the regulations listed under Title 27, are in place to protect public health, safety, and the environment. Existing releases are being addressed through the facility's Corrective Action Program and Cleanup and Abatement Order R5-2017-0703 (CAO). The CAO requires the discharger to fully delineate the vertical and lateral extent of the groundwater contamination plume, install enhanced corrective action measures such that no volatile organic chemicals will be present in groundwater beyond the landfill boundaries, and to enhance its groundwater treatment system. Additionally it should be noted that these releases are from what is referred to as the Austin Road Unit at the facility. The Austin Road Unit is a historic trench and fill landfill that does not have a containment system or leachate removal system like a modern landfill. Any new waste management units permitted by the Central Valley Water Board or other discharges are subject to modern standards and regulations. COMMENT NO. 2: The answer is not adding more testing but adding more extraction and cleanup wells/sites, unless the discharges have expanded beyond the boundary of the current testing (that's a separate and additional issue which would require more test sites). RESPONSE: As noted in the Response to Comment No. 1, Forward Landfill is subject to all the requirements put in place by the CAO, which specifically requires enhanced corrective action measures. To address downgradient groundwater contamination the Discharger is conducting an Interim Remedial Action that includes the installation of 4 extraction wells, 6 piezometers, and 3 groundwater monitoring wells on the adjacent CDCR property. New groundwater extraction well CDCR EW-1 was installed on 5 May 2022. The Interim Remedial Action is expected to be operational by Summer 2023 based on the latest schedules submitted by the Discharger. Forward Landfill submits Quarterly Corrective Action Program updates as specified in Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) R5-2017-0703. Per the CAO, the submitted reports shall "describe all work completed during the previous calendar quarter to comply with [the] Cleanup and Abatement Order and describe any violations of this Order."