Prima Deshecha Landfill earns Cal/VPP Star certification

OC Waste & Recycling’s Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano has become the first municipal solid waste landfill in California to earn Cal/VPP Star certification, the program’s highest safety recognition. The designation matters because it signals a top-tier safety system at a public landfill and sets a new benchmark for the sector.

Why it matters: - Prima Deshecha Landfill now holds the highest safety recognition in California’s Voluntary Protection Program. - The certification puts the San Juan Capistrano landfill in a very small group of U.S. worksites with Star status. - The designation gives OC Waste & Recycling a safety benchmark that could influence other landfill operators and public works sites. - The landfill is the first municipal solid waste landfill in California and the second in the nation to earn VPP Star Certification.

What happened: - OC Waste & Recycling announced that Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano was certified as a Cal/VPP Star Site. - Cal/OSHA granted the designation after a year-long certification process. - The site became eligible for the certification through a third-party Cal/VPP gap assessment, an onsite Cal/OSHA evaluation and completion of required corrective actions. - Tom Koutroulis, director of OC Waste & Recycling, said the achievement reflects the Prima Deshecha team’s commitment to safety and continuous improvement.

The details: - Cal/VPP Star is reserved for worksites that show exemplary safety and health performance beyond regulatory compliance. - Fewer than 1% of U.S. worksites reach Star level. - Star worksites maintain injury and illness rates at or below the national industry average. - Star sites run self-sufficient safety and health management systems. - Prima Deshecha’s certification is valid through Jan. 30, 2029. - Continued eligibility depends on annual reporting, ongoing program evaluation and a triennial Cal/OSHA re-evaluation. - The VPP Star Program is designed for worksites with comprehensive safety and health management systems, proactive employee engagement and sustained safety performance. - Star participants are reevaluated every three to five years, with incident rates reviewed annually.

Between the lines: - The certification signals that OC Waste & Recycling has built a formal safety process, not just a compliance program. - The landfill’s status may help strengthen confidence in landfill operations, which face persistent worker-safety and environmental scrutiny. - Koutroulis linked the result to OC Waste & Recycling’s Kaizen mindset, pointing to employee-driven hazard identification and process improvement.

What's next: - Prima Deshecha will need to maintain strong annual reporting and program evaluation to keep Star status. - Cal/OSHA will re-evaluate the site on a triennial basis. - OC Waste & Recycling will likely use the certification as proof point for its broader landfill and recycling operations. - The department also says the recognition fits its mission to protect the local environment and support renewable energy and recycling efforts.

The bottom line: - Prima Deshecha Landfill has set a new California standard for municipal solid waste landfill safety, and it now has to sustain that performance through 2029.