SFGATE

“A 'festering' California landfill is making locals seriously ill, lawsuit says”

“A new lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County over a “smoldering, smelly” landfill is pulling no punches. The suit, filed this week in United States District Court, says that the Chiquita Canyon Landfill near Santa Clarita, California, “poses a persistent public health concern” due to “noxious odors and gases” that make daily life difficult for local residents.

The newly filed 50-page lawsuit is currently seeking an injunction against Waste Connections, the parent company that operates the landfill, in hopes of stopping the “smelly, chemical brew” coming from the 639-acre property as soon as possible. Lawyers for the county and others say that the issue has persisted for two years and that nearby residents in the Val Verde subdivision and other neighborhoods have complained of “headaches and nausea … difficulty breathing; and even cardiac problems” related to potentially “toxic gases” emanating from the “festering” area.”