Emotional Castaic Meeting Highlights Health Issues Linked to Chiquita Canyon Landfill

 

By Santa Clarita Star Staff

 

Hundreds of residents gathered at a meeting at Castaic Middle School to demand action on health and pollution issues linked to the nearby Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Despite Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's reassurance that the landfill could close in one to two months, residents expressed frustration over long-term health impacts, unsellable homes, and the lack of a declared state of emergency. State and federal representatives, including Congressman Mike Garcia and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, joined the meeting, pledging to advocate for urgent state and federal intervention.

 

Santa Clarita, Calif. – On October 28, 2024, hundreds of angry residents attended a meeting at Castaic Middle School about the Chiquita Canyon Landfill and were told by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger the landfill would close in one or two months.

 

The meeting was emotional, with resident after resident giving their testimonials about suffering health issues they say is due to the nearby Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Some were waving large Ziploc bags of pill bottles, showing that how much medication they have to take due to health problems. Others lamented the fact that they are stuck in expensive homes near the Landfill that they likely will not be able to sell.

 

The landfill has been the source of complaints from nearby residents for overwhelming odors and air and water pollution for months. The landfill has been cited, warned and fined for violating environmental regulations and codes and contributing to documented air and water pollution in nearby communities in Val Verde, Castaic and Santa Clarita.

 

The meeting drew local, state and federal representatives to address the concerns of the community and offer updates on the landfill’s future.

 

Congressman Mike Garcia, state Senator Scott WIlk and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo were in attendance at the meeting.

 

Barger, who was repeatedly booed at the meeting, said the county is not planning on extending the deadline to reduce its solid waste volume at the landfill, which was previously agreed upon. The landfill agreed to a reduction in its solid waste volume by January 1st.

 

But the landfill operators have filed a lawsuit against the county to extend the deadline, casting doubt on if the landfill will reduce its intake or cease operating.

“I’m going to just stare at Katherine Barger and not say a word,” resident Darcy Stinson said, standing at the podium, with Kathryn Barger looking on. “I requested from you for over a decade to do health study.”

 

Stinson said that he had been diagnosed with cancer and had uncontrollable tremors.

 

“I remember 2017 very clearly,” Stinson told Barger. “That was the only meeting I remember that you actually came to. And it was in like full support of the [Chiquita Canyon] Landfill. Like when the Landfill talked, you watched it. When the community talked, you were talking to other people on the board. You were looking down. You weren't looking at us. And I sat there telling you that I was just diagnosed with cancer, and that we were having issues in Val Verde and that I am one of the closest residents to Val Verde. And you just sat there. You didn't listen to any of us telling them about the situation that happened. My livelihood is taken away. I don't know if this is gonna go away. You can ask these people here and ask how many people, I mean, I'll ask how many people here actually tremor and has things been taken away from you?”

 

“I just don't understand how the board or how Los Angeles County could approve these homes to be built so close to this disaster,” Elizabeth Jeffords, who struggles with numerous health issues, told Kathryn Barger. “You have known about this for too many years. I read an article the other day that was from 2017 where a nine-year-old told you that she was having health problems. I don't know where this nine-year-old is today, but today is our earlier and not our last. What is it going to take for you to issue the state of emergency? I need to get out of my house. I can't sell my house because you crap on my value. And I'm stuck with a million-dollar mortgage, and I'm supposed to pay my property taxes? I can't even go to work. Get me out of here. You don't want to do anything? Step down. Let somebody who can take over.”

 

A multi-agency task force headed by the Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring the landfill for several months. But the county has not requested or declared a state of emergency to address the pollution the landfill is creating.

 

Mike Garcia said at the meeting the state of emergency needs to be issued before federal aid can be allocated to people affected by the pollution at the landfill.

 

Pilar Schiavo told people at the meeting she has been lobbying Governor Gavin Newson’s office to declare a state of emergency and is most concerned about the health of the people who live and work near the landfill.

 

Scott Wilk said he sent a letter to Waste Connections, the Texas-based company that owns the landfill, to address the community’s concerns. The response from Waste Connections was far from cooperative. Waste Connections essentially dismissed his concerns.

 

Meanwhile, the landfill continues to pollute the air, water and land in surrounding communities and has not provided a plan or steps to stop it.