LA County Public Health fell short in response to Chiquita Canyon landfill issues, audit says

Los Angeles County health officials neglected to consistently inform residents living near a landfill about air quality and possible implications to their health, according to a new state audit.

The report examines the L.A. County Public Health Department’s oversight of the Chiquita Canyon landfill — which has been emitting chemicals and odors for years.

Residents in the area have complained about symptoms including headaches, nausea and respiratory problems. The 65-page audit found the county's public health department didn’t go far enough to help or inform the community about the nearby hazard.

For example, the audit found that despite getting reports from the landfill operator about air quality that at times showed chemical levels exceeding state thresholds, the department didn’t inform the public nor could prove it consistently reviewed the data.

Other findings:

• The department didn’t have up-to-date information about symptoms residents in the community were experiencing, since most of the data it had was from nearly two years ago. 
• The department didn’t provide mental health resources, even though it had for another hazardous incident. 
  

“This audit confirms what residents have been telling us for years: the response to this public health crisis has not matched the seriousness of what families are experiencing,” said Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo, who asked the legislature for the audit.

What does the department say?

While the landfill closed in 2025, officials expect the chemical reaction underground to continue burning for years.

In a statement to LAist, a spokesperson for the department said it was “disappointing that the focus of the audit largely evaluates Public Health’s actions in isolation and not as part of a response structure created by federal, state, and local agencies.”

The spokesperson said the department “proactively addressed the health concerns of the community” and its response “was iterative and evidence-based.”

In regards to why the department didn’t tell the public about elevated chemical levels in the air that exceeded a threshold, county officials told state auditors the level itself didn’t determine the potential level of health risk, and that they consider a variety of factors. The state auditor said the department still could have given word to the community.

“LADPH could have provided written comments to quarterly air quality reports or otherwise published its health assessment, even when it did not believe there would be any potential health and safety impacts,” the audit said. “We believe that the lack of communication from LADPH about specific exceedances resulted in residents not receiving timely and important information about their health and safety implications.”

What happens now?

The audit had other recommendations for the department, including making monthly health assessment updates related to elevated chemical levels, and periodically collecting information about health symptoms from residents.

The department did not agree to many of the specific audit recommendations, and said “LADPH remains committed to validating and responding to the community’s experience, communicating what the evidence shows and does not show, and using all appropriate public health and enforcement tools with its regulatory partners.”

In a statement, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the community, said she believes in “letting subject matter experts lead, and Los Angeles County Public Health is working alongside state and federal agencies as part of a broader, multidisciplinary response.” She said she is focused on the county’s current lawsuit against Chiquita’s operators, which was filed in late 2024.

In the meantime, Assemblymember Schiavo said she will hold a hearing on the audit and look at implementing recommendations from the audit.

“Every day we don’t act, our community members suffer, and it’s time the health department and county make sure residents finally see real changes on the ground,” she said."