The Los Angeles City Council approved a report back on current complaints of odors emitting from the Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Sylmar. Council members voted 10-0 to instruct the Bureau of Sanitation, Sunshine Canyon Landfill Local Enforcement Agency and Republic Services, which oversee and regulate the facility, to outline the current conditions of the site and the steps taken to resolve the latest issues about operations. Additionally, the report is expected to include efforts to further improve operations at the landfill.
The action was prompted by a motion introduced by Councilman John Lee, who represents the 12th District and where the facility is located, and seconded by Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. Since 1958, the landfill – near Granada Hills and Sylmar – has provided waste disposal services to the city, receiving about 9,000 tons of waste per day.
Over the years, media reports have highlighted odor complaints filed by nearby businesses, homeowners and residents. In 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported on the complaints pouring in from the surrounding community and how the odors were growing bacteria caused by water intrusion from past storms. Many of the complaints have described how the odors are impacting students and staff at the local elementary school, Van Gogh Charter School.