Puente Hills Landfill

Puente Hills Landfill is the largest landfill in the United States, rising 500ft high and covering 700acre. Puente Hills accepted four million tons of waste in 2005. As of October 31, 2013, its operating permit has been terminated and it no longer accepts new refuse.The landfill is located in the Puente Hills, in southeastern Los Angeles County near Whittier, California and is owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. The closest urban communities are unincorporated Hacienda Heights to the east, and unincorporated Avocado Heights and the City of Industry to the north.Gas-to-Energy30,000 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas created by the landfill is funneled to the Puente Hills Gas-to-Energy Facility, which generates more than 40 megawatts of electricity.MediaThe landfill has gained some popular attention. Penn and Teller visited the landfill in an episode of their television program Bullshit! to assess the validity of recycling, and the television documentary series MegaStructures focused on the landfill in the episode "Garbage Mountain".