If you live, work, or engage in recreation in Richmond, you’ve probably gotten close to the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill in north Richmond. The Parr Boulevard-based garbage dump opened in 1953. The dump is now closed, but it remains a problem. For close to two decades, the facility owned by a subsidiary of Phoenix-based Republic Services has been discharging waters
containing hazardous pollutants into San Pablo Bay.
CSPA is asking people to donate today to support CSPA’s lawsuit against Republic Services. Your dollars will go to stop the waste management giant from unlawfully discharging contaminated liquid into San Pablo Bay. The donations are being organized through a legal-support non-profit called WHEN Justice. The donations pay for the costs associated with CSPA’s lawsuits, like expert witnesses, sampling and monitoring, and laboratory analyses of water discharged by the facility.
Republic Services needs to stop water moving from the former landfill into the Bay. Without improvements, the landfill will continue to emit stormwater and leachate (water passed through solids) into Bay waters. The chemicals in the liquids can cause harm to fish, birds, insects, plants, and people.
The former landfill is surrounded by water and crossed by the Bay Trail. People and their dogs regularly use the trail. CSPA filed suit on September 26, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit alleges that Republic Services violated both the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA)
and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Once again, you can donate through WHEN Justice at:
https://www.whenjustice.org/campaigns/challenging-a-70b-waste-corporation-over-water-pollution-572bc7f7-acff-4849-a222-bb0ab9bb587f
We at CSPA thank you for your support.
Image: CSPA