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LA County sues owners and operators of Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic
Residents of Val Verde and Castaic call for Chiquita Canyon Landfill to be closed on Feb. 22, 2024.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
L.A. County has filed a lawsuit accusing the owners and operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill of failing to protect people from the “terrible effects” of noxious odors coming from the more than 600-acre site in Castaic.
Why it matters: Residents living near the landfill have reported headaches, eye irritation, dizziness, and even cardiac problems because of odors for nearly two years, according to the suit.
Why now: The lawsuit was filed on Monday and announced by L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office.
The backstory: Over the summer, the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s hearing board ordered the landfill to mitigate odors and monitor air quality after receiving more than 20,000 complaints. Barger and Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County Public Health director, asked the county to look into residents’ fears that living near the landfill has led to a cluster of cancer cases in October.
What else is in the lawsuit: It includes claims for public nuisance, violations of the California Unfair Competition Law and of the L.A. County code. It’s also seeking an injunction to stop the noxious emissions, orders to temporarily relocate nearby residents, and civil penalties for violations of environmental and public health laws, according to Barger’s office.
Chiquita Canyon said in a statement that the county's lawsuit is "misguided and counterproductive to efforts to mitigate the elevated temperature landfill event."
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