The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled on Friday, Aug. 29, that Chiquita Canyon Landfill must work with Los Angeles County to provide support and relief to nearby residents, through temporary relocation and home-hardening, while the broader lawsuit continues to move forward.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, who represents the Fifth Supervisorial District which includes the Santa Clarita Valley, applauded the ruling issued by Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong granting a preliminary injunction in the county’s litigation against the Chiquita Canyon Landfill.

The decision marks a critical milestone in the county’s efforts to hold the landfill accountable for odors that have impacted surrounding communities.

The court’s ruling found that Los Angeles County met all of the legal requirements for a preliminary injunction, including demonstrating harm to residents and establishing that an injunction serves the public interest. While the court granted the injunction, it has asked the parties to further confer on the scope of impacted residences, with determinations to be made within the next 30 days.

Barger underscored the importance of this decision as a meaningful step toward relief for families who have endured months of hardship.

“This ruling is an important victory for the residents who have suffered from the persistent odors caused by the Chiquita Canyon Landfill,” Barger said. “It sends a clear message that the county’s legal efforts are an effective and lasting lever for relief and change. Most importantly, this decision moves us closer to bringing much-needed relief to the communities I represent. I will continue working hard to ensure that every possible legal and policy tool is used to protect the health, safety and quality of life of my constituents.”

Los Angeles County will continue its legal efforts in the coming weeks to finalize the scope of remedies and ensure impacted households receive the relief they deserve.

Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth), who represents the SCV in Sacramento, has worked at the state level to provide relief for residents impacted by Chiquita Canyon released the following statement in response to the ruling:

“This is an important step forward for our neighbors in Val Verde, Castaic and Santa Clarita being made sick by the ongoing Chiquita Canyon Landfill fire. The U.S. District court ruled that Chiquita Canyon Landfill must work with the county to develop a plan in the next 30 days to provide of relocation and home hardening for residents who have been suffering from nosebleeds, headaches, tremors and declining health for years as a result of the 90-acre underground fire at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill,” Schiavo said. “It is encouraging that after just one more month, those impacted day in and day out by this disaster will have a clear picture of the plan to support and protect them. This crisis has come at great cost to neighbors’ health and wallets and this relief is desperately needed and already overdue. I am grateful that the efforts of L.A. County’s legal team in pursuing justice for our community is advancing to the next step.”

Schiavo reported that efforts to assist residents impacted by the landfill continue on the state level.

“Additionally, we also took steps forward in the legislature to bring support to our community. The senate advanced two of our bills, AB 28 and AB 985, to bring relief to our community as well as ensure this doesn’t happen to other landfill neighbors around the state,” said Schiavo.

AB 985, authored by Schiavo, would require each property located within a 5-mile radius of the center of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill to be reassessed so that the full cash value base of the property reflects any decline in value of the property arising from the Chiquita Canyon elevated temperature landfill event.