Residents in Castaic say odors from the nearby Chiquita landfill are still making them sick, causing nosebleeds and headaches, and the locals want it shut down.
KNX News' Emily Valdez reports, as much as they would like to, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says the county does not have the authority to shut it down.
So, who does? "State agencies do have the authority over land bills and they can and should exercise their authority to revoke permits if they feel that it is a risk to public health," said the supervisor.
As for what is being done while they wait for state intervention, Barger said her office has called on Chiquita to cover relocation expenses for impacted residents.
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For those who do not wish to leave, "There is a fund available, and Chiquita is also gonna make funding available to hardscape your house so that if you need to put an air conditioning in, you can modify and do all that. So there's gonna be funding available for that as well," Barger said.
The supervisor also mentioned that a website of resources for those affected should be available sometime next week.
An order from the Environmental Protection Agency said the operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill endanger nearby communities, and the operators need to take immediate steps to protect human and environmental health.
In a statement on the landfill's website, the company says, "We welcome the opportunity to work with the EPA as a partner with our other regulators. Chiquita takes very seriously its role in the safe operation of the landfill. We also believe it is important to keep the community informed, and have been communicating openly and transparently with the local community throughout this process. We have been providing regular updates at various public meetings as well as information, reports and data on our website."
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