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heavy equipment of any kind during other hours. One of the objectives of the EIR of December 2006 was to clarify this issue while addressing noise impacts that could result from the higher landfill elevation limit. Another objective of the 2006 EIR was to remove the confusion caused by the various uses of the term "operations" in two important regulatory documents. The 1988 EIR uses the term "landfill operations" to refer to the use of heavy equipment to compact and cover refuse. This document states that "As long as landfill operations are confined to daytime hours (generally 7 a. m. to 7 p.m.) no mitigation measures would be required for the proposed project [construction and of the North County Recycling Center and Sanitary Landfill]." (Page 10-9). CCR section 20164 uses the term "operating" to refer to the hours during which refuse may be received. This term is incorporated into the limit of "Days and Hours of Operation" in the Solid Waste Facility Permit (SWFP). At the North County Landfill, receipt of refuse is restricted by the Solid Waste Facility Permit to between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, the restriction of "Days and Hours of Operation" for the receipt of refuse has also been interpreted as a prohibition against the use of any heavy equipment at any other time. To avoid future confusion caused by the several contexts in which the word `operation" has been used, this document will avoid the use of the term. Instead, those hours identified in the Solid Waste Facility Permit as hours during which refuse may be received will be referred to as "hours of refuse receipt' or similar wording. Those times when heavy equipment is used for the placement and cover of received refuse or for other purposes related to landfill activity will be referred to as "hours of heavy equipment use" or similar wording. 1. Conditions Heavy equipment will be used, as much as possible, between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Noise mitigation is not needed during that time. Certain important maintenance or construction activities must occur when the landfill is closed, such as trenching across the access road. Such work cannot feasibly be done in the two hours between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM; therefore, such work would proceed as needed, with lighting provided as necessary. Due to the effect of temperature on HDPE, installing new HDPE landfill liners is best done in early morning hours, possibly before dawn. This work occurs primarily below grade, such that surrounding residents are shielded from the noise by the soil banks of the excavation. Other work may be needed in response to an emergency situation or to maintain compliance with permit conditions and applicable regulations. If needed, such work will be limited to normal working hours when possible. Noise from heavy equipment used within the recycling center is screened to a degree by the walls of the recycling center. Mitigation Monitoring Plan 5 North County Recycling Center and Landfill April 3, 2009 San Joaquin County Public Works/Solid Waste