Chiquita Canyon Landfill is being sued by L.A. County to address “ongoing environmental and public health hazards caused by the landfill’s operations,” as well as to seek relief for “impacted communities under siege,” according to a news release from 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office.  The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that the landfill’s owners — Chiquita Canyon LLC, Chiquita Canyon Inc., and Waste Connections US Inc. — have failed to control a persistent and harmful underground smoldering reaction within the landfill, which has been emitting noxious odors, hazardous gases, and toxic leachate into nearby communities and the environment for nearly two years, the release states.  It’s the latest step in a battle between the landfill and residents of Castaic and Val Verde, who have been complaining for nearly two years about foul odors emanating from the landfill that have allegedly led to nosebleeds, headaches, nausea and respiratory issues.  The issue stems from a subsurface reaction, producing potentially toxic and cancerous chemicals, that has led the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board to deny a request for the landfill to expand operations into another cell while the issue persists.  The county’s complaint includes claims for public nuisance, violations of the California Unfair Competition Law and violations of county code, Barger’s release states. The county is seeking an injunction to halt the noxious emissions and protect affected communities, orders to relocate nearby residents temporarily until the reaction is contained and civil penalties for the defendants’ ongoing violations of environmental and public health laws.  “This lawsuit is a necessary step to ensure accountability and compliance with the rules that protect our residents and the environment,” Barger stated in the release. “We must hold the responsible party accountable and continue doing everything possible to restore safe and healthy living conditions for our communities. While federal, state and county agencies are working around the clock with the landfill operator to mitigate this incident, it’s clear that the geomembrane cover and mitigation measures have not brought a permanent stop to the awful stench that afflicts the surrounding communities. This lawsuit is a powerful tool that demands the landfill owners bring immediate relief to impacted residents. They must step up efforts to take care of those that have been harmed by their facility.”  A spokesperson for Chiquita was not immediately available Monday afternoon for comment.  Residents have also complained of “cancer clusters” forming in the neighborhoods closest to the landfill. Barger’s office has called for county cancer experts to conduct a study in response to those claims.  Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, were part of a bipartisan effort seeking a state of emergency from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, but that was denied.  Barger, who recently assumed leadership of the Board of Supervisors as chair for the 2024-25 term, announced in November that the landfill could be shut down as soon as February due to the denial of expansion. The landfill was reporting a daily-intake reduction from 6,000 tons to 2,000 tons in November, according to Barger’s office, and further reductions could potentially keep it open longer.  The California Water Board stated in a response to the request to expand that the plans to contain the subsurface reaction were inadequate.  “Despite repeated enforcement actions and abatement orders, the landfill operators have not adequately addressed the situation,” said Dušan Pavlović, senior deputy county counsel, in the release from Barger’s office. “This lawsuit seeks to ensure immediate action to stop the harm. The resources that have been deployed in the community fall woefully short.”  The lawsuit follows extensive efforts by local, state and federal agencies — including the South Coast Air Quality Management District, California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — to address the issue through abatement orders, notices of violation, and mandated mitigation measures, the release states.  Residents recently lost a court battle that sought to close the landfill, but there are still hundreds of lawsuits from Castaic and Val Verde residents who are claiming they’ve suffered health and property damage because of the landfill. Those lawsuits are pending a court date in a Downtown Los Angeles federal courthouse after their transfer from Los Angeles County Superior Court.   The landfill’s ongoing pollution problems are the subject of a unilateral administrative order from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which is overseen by joint county, state and federal agencies, including CalRecycle, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Water Boards and the South Coast AQMD, among others.   Some of the lingering issues residents have been complaining about for months include a lack of transparency surrounding the landfill’s reimbursement program, questions about potential impacts to the water table and the pending health assessments.  Schiavo recently introduced two bills in the Assembly aimed at helping impacted residents.  The first bill would make any compensation received by residents from Chiquita Canyon Landfill exempt from state taxes and excluded from counting against those who qualify for state assistance such as CalFresh, ensuring that affected individuals receive the full benefit of the funds intended to address their hardships and relieving any state financial burdens, according to a news release from Schiavo’s office.   The second bill seeks funding, through the state budget, to assist residents with short- or long-term relocation expenses, offering financial support to those who have no other option than to escape their community due to ongoing and severe health and environmental impacts and illnesses the Val Verde and Castaic communities are experiencing, the release said.  On the federal level, Garcia has also introduced legislation, the Chiquita Canyon Tax Relief Act, aimed at protecting residents of Val Verde, Castaic, and Valencia from being taxed on the financial assistance and compensation they receive due to the ongoing landfill crisis. This bill would ensure that current and future payments will not be considered taxable income, providing much-needed relief to families impacted by this disaster, according to a release from Garcia’s office.  The post County sues Chiquita landfill, seeks relief for ‘communities under siege’  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.