Despite opposition from residents expressing concerns about public and environmental safety, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved increases in daily allowable dumping limits at the Lancaster Landfill and the Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Granada Hills to allow for disposal of debris from the Palisades and Eaton fires.
It comes one day after residents in Granada Hills protested putting debris from the wildfires into the Sunshine Canyon Landfill.
In a statement to KTLA, Republic Services, which owns Sunshine Canyon, said “the landfill has a state-of-the-art liner system, cover system and robust gas collection system to help ensure material is managed safely and responsibly.”
Still, residents told KNX News’ Jon Baird they’re concerned about the impacts the debris could have on their health.
“Our concern is mostly health, that toxic dump that they're going to dump there is going to affect all of us. [The] elderly, children, everyone,” one resident said. “And, you know down the line, it's going to affect everybody's health and who knows what effect that's going to have on all of us.”
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“It's bad enough when it's hot and the wind blows and that odor wafts through because in the morning when you open the window, we don't have fresh air,” another resident said. “We smell [it] strongly. It's not healthy for us.”
“I’ve seen 10 people pass away - a couple from cancer, others from different issues, but there’s something going on still as we live here today, and they want to bring waste over here that we don’t need,” another resident said.
A resident named Cynthia told Baird that while it’s a sensitive issue, the waste needs to go somewhere.
“Well it's not right, but where else are they going to put it?” she said. “They have to take it somewhere, right?”
The board also removed dumping restrictions at the Calabasas Landfill, allowing it to accept fire debris.
City News Service contributed to this article.
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