LOS ANGELES — Concerned with possible cancer-risk and other impacts caused by the troubled Chiquita Canyon Landfill, LA County Supervisor Board Chair Kathryn Barger Monday called for an update from a USC health program for detailed answers.
In a letter sent Friday, Barger, who represents the Antelope Valley, encompassing the Castaic-area where the landfill is located, urged officials with the USC Cancer Surveillance Program to conduct an analysis of potential cancer clusters in the communities surrounding the landfill.
The USC health program is a state mandated local agency for monitoring community cancer trends in LA County. It's overseen by a state agency, the California Department of Public Health.
"My constituents in the impacted communities have shared their frustration, anxiety and uncertainty — I hear them loud and clear," Barger said in a statement. "They deserve straightforward answers, and I am committed to ensuring they get them. My priority is to push for transparency and clear information."
The supervisor also requested representatives to present an update at Tuesday's Chiquita Canyon Landfill's Community Advisory Committee meeting.
County officials commissioned an independent health study that identified elevated levels of benzene and carbon tetrachloride, which pose health risk under prolonged exposure. Additionally, the county is conducting an ongoing online health survey for affected residents.
As of Feb. 5, about 50% of respondents reported smelling offensive or highly offensive odors, and approximately 70% said they notice the odor daily.
In her letter, Barger noted that residents of the Santa Clarita Valley express "significant concerns" over potential health impacts and perceived increase in cancer rates as a result of the challenges with the landfill.
In January, the landfill owners halted their operations, but agreed to work to control noxious odors that have been emanating from the facility due to what has been described as an underground chemical reaction.
Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors instructed the Department of Public Works to conduct an assessment of the closure's implications.
At the time, a group of residents from nearby communities including Val Verde and Castaic gave an account on how they've been impacted by the odors. They urged county officials to declare a local emergency, which could provide necessary resources immediately, such as relocation assistance.
The county sued Chiquita Canyon LLC in federal court in December over the continued noxious emissions.
A group of area residents also sued the landfill's owners in October 2024, alleging the company failed to properly manage the landfill's gas capture, control systems and leachate systems. Leachate is a polluted liquid that forms from rainwater filtering through solid waste.
The alleged failure caused the emission of elevated and harmful levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and volatile organic gases, creating unsafe living conditions for thousands of residents, their lawsuit says.
Last year alone, there were 13,000 odor complaints about the landfill, according to plaintiffs' attorneys in the October suit.
Residents have reported headaches, nausea, respiratory issues and the inability to enjoy use of their properties due to the offensive smells, the suit stated. Landfill officials said odors from the facility are due to "an abnormal biotic or abiotic process, also known as a landfill reaction, taking place deep within a lined but older and inactive portion of the landfill waste mess."
The county alleged local families have been forced to stay indoors, run their air conditioning and heat at all times of the day, and have been unable to enjoy outdoor activities or even use their yards — further impacting mental health and wellbeing, especially of children.
The county has also been assessing resident claims the landfill has led to a cluster of cancer cases in the area.
