FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 14, 2024
Contact: roger.quintanilla@lacity.org
Phone: 213-473-7012
Councilmember John Lee Introduces Legislation Seeking Injunctive Relief to Halt the Acceptance of Potentially Hazardous Debris at Sunshine Canyon Landfill
Granada Hills, CA – Heeding calls from community members and advocacy groups, Councilmember John Lee has introduced legislation aimed at preventing Sunshine Canyon Landfill from accepting the potentially hazardous soil and debris from burn areas due to the recent fires. This legislation requests the City Attorney to seek injunctive relief through a temporary restraining order against Republic Services and Browning-Ferris Industries for the acceptance of the hazardous soil.
Many organizations, including leaders from local Neighborhood Councils have expressed their opposition to having debris and soil from the fires brought to the landfill without proper testing. Councilmember John Lee is fully aligned in that opposition, sharing, "As a resident of Council District 12 for over 40 years and a father of two, the health and safety of this community is my number one priority. The proposal for Sunshine Canyon Landfill to accept this debris, without sufficient testing and oversight, is an insult to the communities that are located near this landfill. Our district has already faced numerous environmental challenges, and I simply can’t allow another one to make its way to our neighborhoods.”
Republic Services Inc. which operates the Sunshine Canyon Landfill, applied for and received a waiver from the Local Enforcement Agency to authorize debris disposal from the recent fires. For local residents, especially those living near the landfill, it is crucial to know that the fire debris being accepted will be properly processed and free from contamination before it ever reaches the site. To that effect, Councilmember Lee introduced legislation in early February asking for reporting from relevant agencies on how the debris was being handled during the cleanup process and for the City’s departments to present a comprehensive plan for testing of the soil before it reaches the landfill. However, with the recent announcement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that it would not be testing soil in the burn areas, these legislative actions are unlikely to provide protection to the neighboring Granada Hills and Sylmar neighborhoods, leaving the residents little recourse beyond this legal action.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents Council District 7 and the Sylmar community, and seconded the motion, agreed, stating, “The health and well-being of the Sylmar community remains my top priority. I stand firmly with my community in demanding that hazardous debris is kept out of the neighboring landfill, where it poses unknown danger to public health. I will continue to call on LA County to work with the City to find an alternative landfill that has the experience to dispose of this debris."
Council District 12 has been the site of numerous environmental disasters that still continue to impact the northwest San Fernando Valley today, including the 2015 Aliso Canyon Gas Leak and multiple incidents spanning decades at the nearby Santa Susana Field Laboratory.
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Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee represents the Twelfth Council District in the Northwest San Fernando Valley which includes the communities of Northridge, Chatsworth, Granada Hills, North Hills West, West Hills, Porter Ranch, and Sherwood Forest.