LA County files preliminary injunction motion against Chiquita Canyon landfill
Los Angeles County filed a motion on Thursday for a preliminary injunction in its ongoing lawsuit against the private operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in a bid to ensure the health of residents in Castaic, Val Verde and other nearby communities impacted by harmful odors emanating from the site.
The injunction seeks court intervention to mandate urgent relief measures, including relocation assistance and home-hardening for the most affected residents. According to county officials, this marks a significant legal step toward holding the landfill accountable for persistent and harmful odors that have impacted residents for at least three years.
“Filing this injunction is another critical step in my unrelenting work to advocate for residents who have endured far too long the noxious odors and disruptions caused by Chiquita Canyon Landfill,” L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement.
Barger, who represents the fifth county district, which encompasses Val Verde and Castaic, as well as the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley, added that she will continue fighting to ensure “accountability and relief.”
“The county’s action today reflects that commitment,” Barger said in her statement.
On Dec. 16, 2024, the county filed a lawsuit against Chiquita Canyon Landfill, LLC, and Waste Connections. The county further seeks civil penalties against Waste Connections for causing the protracted environmental incident and public nuisance in neighboring communities.
Last year, the landfill halted its solid waste operations, but remained in operation to control noxious odors being released from its facility caused by an underground chemical reaction.
The landfill has generated thousands of odor complaints and has been targeted in lawsuits by Castaic-area residents.
County officials have said the underground reaction, located in a closed section of the landfill’s northwest corner, has severely impacted surrounding neighborhoods, including Val Verde, Halsey Hills, Hasley Canyon and other areas of Castaic, the county contends.
Residents have reported daily exposure to foul odors, experiencing symptoms such as migraine headaches, nausea, bloody noses, respiratory issues and even cardiac complications. The county alleges that 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 that the landfill has led to a cluster of cancer cases in the area.
On Friday, Val Verde residents, environmental justice advocates and community leaders are expected to gather near the landfill as part of their efforts to raise awareness about their crisis. Some residents have urged the Board of Supervisors to declare a local emergency.
“To date, the county has not proclaimed a local emergency primarily because doing so would not open access to additional funding resources, nor would it increase the intensive federal, state and local jurisdictional oversight that is already well underway,” Helen Chavez Garcia, communications director for Barger’s office, said in a statement.
“At this point, all possible regulatory and legal steps to resolve the situation are being implemented as quickly as possible,” she added. “The odors are caused by higher temperatures deep below the site that have also caused the production of gases and leachate that must be carefully handled. An intensive methodological and technology-driven approach is a proper means of responding to and resolving this situation.”
The county is working closely with local, state and federal agencies — such as the Environmental Protection Agency, CalEPA, CalRecycle, Southern California Air Quality Management District and the Regional Water Quality Control Board — to resolve the environmental hazard.