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As a condition of approval for the operation of the Puente Hills Landfill, a joint powers authority was formed pursuant to an agreement dated February 15, 1994, between Sanitation District No. 2, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Whittier. The primary objective of the joint powers authority, the Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority (Habitat Authority), is to preserve and maintain native habitat in the region near the landfill.
The funding for the Habitat Authority comes from a $1.00 per ton of solid waste disposed fee assessed on users of the landfill. Over $34 million in funding has been provided to the Habitat Authority through 2003. Additional funding at the rate of approximately $3.5 million per year is projected to be provided to the Habitat Authority through the remaining life of the landfill, which is scheduled to close in November 2013.
Beyond this date, the open space lands will continue to be preserved and managed in perpetuity using a management endowment that the Board of Directors is committed to establishing.