A landfill in Castaic that had reached its capacity will continue to operate after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to allow it to expand, but only under more than a dozen new conditions.
“Reflecting the culmination of thousands of hours of community meetings, input and engagement, my amendments provide a balanced approach that protects air and water quality and addresses community health concerns,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes the Santa Clarita Valley region. “This will be the last (conditional-use permit) for the Chiquita Canyon Landfill which allows for the continued -but limited-use of the landfill while it winds down its operations over the next few decades.”
Tuesday’s vote came after the Los Angeles County Planning Commission approved expansion plans in April of the now 639-acre landfill located in Castaic, not far from the small community of Val Verde. The landfill has been in continuous operation for more than 40 years and is owned and operated by Waste Connections, according to the company website.
But as part of the conditional-use permit approved by the commission in April, landfill operators would have had to raise fees on out of area trash. Waste Connections appealed that to the Board Tuesday and the fees were cut in place of several amendments.
The Board’s vote was met with disappointment by members of Santa Clarita Organization for Protecting the Environment, otherwise known as SCOPE, and other groups and residents who attended Tuesday’s board meeting. They have said documents show the landfill, located on Highway 126 three miles west of Castaic, exceeded its limit last year. They say a 1997 agreement between the landfill and the community calls for the landfill’s closure when it reaches its 23-million-ton capacity, or by November 2019, whichever comes first.
During the meeting, several residents, attorneys and physicians spoke out against expansion of the landfill, saying the air and dust created were harmful. Others supported it, saying Waste Connections, Inc., was a good neighbor.
The new conditional-use permit would allow operators to run the landfill for up to 30 more years, but operators must perform continuous air-quality monitoring in locations surrounding the landfill such as in Val Verde, nearby employment centers and schools within a 5-mile radius. In addition, operators Waste Connections Inc. must conduct water-quality monitoring, pay for a health assessment study, and plan for a park or other open space in Val Verde, Castaic other areas surrounding the landfill.
To read the full story, visit http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20170628/la-county-leaders-approve-plans-to-expand-massive-landfill.