State Route 85 Landfill - Buckeye, Arizona Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

State Route 85 Landfill is a municipal solid waste landfill located in Buckeye, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Owned by the City of Phoenix, the facility has been operational since 2006 and serves the growing waste management needs of the Phoenix metropolitan area. As a major landfill in the region, it handles significant tonnages of municipal solid waste. The landfill operates under the regulatory framework of the US EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D, which governs municipal solid waste landfills, and the Clean Air Act (CAA) for landfill gas emissions. Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) oversees state-level compliance. Typical modern landfills like this one employ liner systems, leachate collection, and gas management to mitigate environmental impacts. This facility plays a critical role in the region's waste management infrastructure, providing disposal capacity for a large urban population. Its location in the Sonoran Desert requires careful water management due to low rainfall and high evaporation rates, influencing leachate handling and groundwater protection measures.

The landfill is situated in the Sonoran Desert, characterized by arid conditions with low annual precipitation and high evaporation rates. This climate reduces leachate generation but increases the importance of groundwater protection due to the region's reliance on aquifers. Landfill gas management, including methane capture, is critical to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Proximity to residential areas in Buckeye necessitates careful traffic and odor management.