Supervisor wants landfill company to help neighbors relocate due to stench

After months of a foul odor plaguing neighbors of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is now calling for the company overseeing the site to “urgently provide relocation assistance” to those who want it.

“It is undeniable that the community is suffering,” Barger said in a letter addressed to Waste Connections Vice President and Deputy General Counsel John Perkey. “My constituents are consistently voicing how their overall quality of life has been negatively impacted …The residents surrounding the Landfill should not be expected to live with the odors that are impacting them every day without significant relief.”

An independent health study conducted by the Los Angeles County Health Department found that the odor, while unpleasant, does not pose a risk of long-term disease but can exacerbate existing health conditions.

“Odors from landfills may be caused by sulfur compounds. The short-term health effects from exposures to odors can include headaches, nasal congestion, eye, nose and throat irritation, hoarseness/sore throat, cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, heart palpitations, nausea, drowsiness and mental depression,” the Department noted.

In addition to relocation help, Barger is asking Waste Connections to better monitor and mitigate the stench for residents who want to stay and provide more funding for assistance programs.

“There is no predictable end in sight. As you continue working to comply with oversight and odor abatement requirements, the very real and significant impacts to those living near the Landfill must be addressed,” Barger said.

The landfill is expected to discuss odor mitigation and Barger’s letter at a community meeting at Castaic Library on Feb. 13, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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