THE SIGNAL

“Chiquita Canyon hosting in-person sessions to provide help for relief fund Friday, Saturday”

Chiquita Canyon Landfill officials announced community meetings for Friday and Saturday intended to give information about its relief program, which was the source of much discussion at the recent Community Advisory Committee meeting. 

The landfill is approaching 15,000 complaints since January 2023, according to Larry Israel, supervising inspector for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the problems have worsened in recent months, based on the number of complaints. 

The landfill is now averaging about 2,000 substantiated complaints per month, a figure Israel called “staggering.” 

To try to help residents while the landfill works to mitigate its stench, a community relief fund has been created that residents can apply for online, but there have been questions about its transparency and whether residents’ data might later be used against them in a lawsuit.