Unable to extinguish a smoldering chemical reaction that sends noxious odors into nearby neighborhoods and prompted a lawsuit by Los Angeles County, owners of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill on Tuesday closed down the 52-year-old municipal waste site. It was announced that it would close on New Year’s Day.
Representatives from Texas-based Waste Connections Inc. said in a letter to California environmental regulators and public officials that the last day it will accept solid waste at its 639-acre facility in the Santa Clarita Valley is December. He said it was the 31st.
“Chiquita wanted to maintain its important role in the region’s solid waste management system and has made the difficult decision to close its current waste disposal operations,” said Steve Landfill Manager. Cassullo wrote. “While Chiquita has (the production capacity), the regulatory environment makes it no longer economically viable to maintain continued operations at Chiquita.”
Chiquita Canyon has been struggling for nearly two years to deal with radioactive fallout from a rare chemical reaction that generates scorching temperatures deep underground in a closed portion of the landfill. The extreme heat burned decades-old trash and damaged the landfill’s gas control system, sending foul-smelling gases wafting into nearby Valverde and Castaic.
The smoldering conditions also increased pressure, resulting in geysers of toxic liquid waste spewing to the surface and white smoke seeping out of long cracks. In recent months, Chiquita Canyon has faced increasing pressure from regulators who have placed limits on where waste can be placed within the landfill.
Chiquita Canyon, the second largest current landfill in Los Angeles County, typically receives approximately 2 million tons of solid waste annually. This accounted for about one-third of the trash disposed of in Los Angeles County.
Public officials are now studying how the closures will affect Southern California’s waste streams, in a region that has long struggled with waste reduction efforts and declining processing capacity.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Berger said public officials had anticipated the closure of Chiquita Canyon. Recently, landfills were accepting significantly less waste. L.A. County officials oversaw the diversion of the waste to landfills in Simi Valley and Antelope Valley, Berger said.
So far, there has been no increase in the tonnage sent to Sylmar’s Sunshine Canyon, which receives the most waste each year.
Berger will introduce a motion at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 7 to evaluate the closure of Chiquita Canyon, including the environmental and financial impacts of plans to send the waste elsewhere. He said he would instruct public works companies to do so.
“I am committed to ensuring that this transition does not lead to any form of price gouging or unfair practices in waste management services,” Berger said. “Safeguards must be put in place to prevent increased financial burden on residents and businesses. However, my top priority is to continue to bring relief to communities that continue to suffer from the noxious odors of landfills. I would like to emphasize that.”
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works had previously expressed concerns about the closure of Chiquita Canyon.
The decision to close Chiquita Canyon was not expected to resolve chemical reactions that occur in long-dormant areas of the landfill and could continue for years. The agency also said closures could lead to more pollution and higher fees as trash is transported farther.
“As the local waste planning agency for Los Angeles County, we ensure there is no disruption to trash collection services in unincorporated communities and work closely with the City of Santa Clarita to prevent service interruptions. “We will continue to do so,” said L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrela. “The health and safety of our residents remains our top priority.”
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