LA County sues Chiquita Canyon Landfill owners over chemicals, gases hurting health of residents

Los Angeles County is suing the owners and operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic, alleging the site has released hazardous gases hurting the health of local residents who have complained of headaches, difficulty breathing and heart problems.

The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court lists Chiquita Canyon LLC, Chiquita Canyon Inc. and their parent company, Waste Connections US Inc., as defendants — detailing hundreds of violations issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management Agency and other government agencies and regulators. Earlier this year, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control issued a summary of violations stating that benzene was among chemicals released into the air, water and ground in the nearby area.

Benzene is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a human carcinogen that can cause headaches, drowsiness, and irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory tract upon short-term exposure and inhalation. Chronic long-term exposure can lead to blood disorders and reproductive issues in women, among other issues.

The 639-acre landfill carries out waste disposal services for the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities in LA County.

More specifically, the newly filed litigation alleges that a "noxious brew" has formed when rain comes into contact with gases from the landfill, leading to the release of substances such as hydrogen sulfide and dimethyl sulfide into the air. Both are described by federal officials as hazardous, with the potential for causing health issues ranging from headaches to heart problems. 

"For almost two years, a smoldering, smelly, chemical brew has been festering underground at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill (the 'Landfill') in Castaic, California, releasing noxious odors into the air..." the lawsuit states. "As residents in the area began feeling the impacts of this brew, they reported effects such as headaches and nausea; eye, nose, throat, and skin irritations; dizziness; difficulty breathing; and even cardiac problems."

In the court filings, county officials also allege those who live in the area have been forced to stay indoors as a result.

"Children are unable to play outside and residents cannot even indulge in the simple pleasures of an outdoor barbeque or playing ball with their children in their own backyards," the lawsuit states.

Accusing the owners and operators of Chiquita Canyon of failing to address the release of hazardous chemicals, the lawsuit is seeking a court order that would require that they contain and extinguish the "noxious reaction" and stop the noxious odors and gases from "reaching any areas where people live, work, study, recreate, and conduct their other daily activities," court filings state.

It also calls for a judge to order Chiquita's owners and operators to pay for the relocation of residents in the area and civil penalties. 

CBS News Los Angeles has reached out to Waste Connections, which owns the landfill, for comment on the litigation.

On the landfill's website, company officials state the noxious odors and fumes "may continue for years" and they have been working with regulators to address the problem, including by offering nearby residents air filtration devices. "Chiquita fully recognizes that neighboring communities are suffering odor-related impacts as a result of the reaction," the website states.

Earlier this year, some local lawmakers and Santa Clarita Valley residents said the landfill has led to a cluster of cancer cases in the area and called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. Steven Howse, who lives in the community of Val Verde, just 900 feet from the landfill, spoke out after his wife was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer last year.

"What people misconstrue is that it's odors, and it's not just odors," Howse said. "It physically makes you sick." 

On Tuesday, ahead of an LA County Board of Supervisors meeting, concerned residents spoke at a news conference where they called for the landfill to be closed and for the county board to issue a local emergency declaration. 

Multiple children spoke before reporters during the news conference, including a child who said she had a cough that lasted six months and another who said the noxious gases have made her feel ill and have caused her to struggle during gym class.

"I've have been getting sick on and off since school started," said Leila Martinez. "I would just like the landfill smells to stop. They're hurting a lot of people."

According to the lawsuit, leachate — the liquid that forms when rain water draws out chemicals from the landfill waste — contains hazardous chemicals such as benzene and has led to more fumes and foul odors.

"On numerous occasions, regulators inspecting the Noxious Reaction observed leachate bubbling, boiling, or shooting out from the Landfill like a geyser, sometimes as high as twelve to eighteen feet in the air," the lawsuit states. "The Defendants have failed to properly collect, treat, store, or dispose of the leachate, nor have they properly managed it as hazardous waste."

Among the hundreds of violations issued by public agencies against the landfill are several from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. During just the first six months of this year, the regulator received about 10,000 complaints tied to the site.

In February, a group of residents sued Chiquita Canyon over health issues they've experienced. A few days later, the LA County Department of Public Health released the findings of an independent study which reported that the landfill's noxious gases were possibly leading to short-term health effects such as headaches, nasal congestion and eye and throat irritation.

Just weeks later, a malfunctioning hose led to a hazmat situation at the facility. At the time, fire officials said one person was injured by a burst hydrogen peroxide line at the landfill, according to the Los Angeles Times.