Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, (D-Chatsworth), joined by 15 Assemblymembers and state Senators. has issued a formal request to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, calling for an immediate State of Emergency declaration in response to the ongoing public health crisis caused by the underground chemical fire at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill.

The landfill, which has had a smoldering event since 2022, continues to release harmful emissions, including benzene, a known carcinogen, putting the health of nearby residents at severe risk.

On Oct.9, Schiavo, joined by U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia and 15 other state legislators, sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom calling for a statewide declaration of emergency to protect the impacted communities. The letter followed a press conference where residents and local officials shared alarming new information, including the identification of a possible cancer cluster in the neighborhood closest to the landfill.

Schiavo outlined the urgent need for the Board of Supervisors to take decisive action to protect the communities of Val Verde, Castaic and the surrounding Santa Clarita area.

To date, the chemical fire remains uncontrolled and residents continue to suffer from severe health impacts, including respiratory issues, heart palpitations, bloody noses and more.

“After hearing directly from residents and spending time in the community, I witnessed and experienced the same symptoms they’ve reported for more than a year, headaches, burning eyes and skin, tightness in the chest and bloody noses,” said Schiavo. “The discovery of a possible cancer cluster only heightens the urgency of this crisis. We cannot wait any longe, the Board of Supervisors must declare a State of Emergency, to help us unlock additional state and federal resources these families desperately need.”

The letter to the Board of Supervisors emphasizes that a State of Emergency declaration is the necessary first step to provide residents with relocation assistance, health studies, tax relief and other essential support.

“The people of Val Verde and surrounding communities have been without the support they need for far too long,” Schiavo said. “We have seen the Board of Supervisors prioritize public health in the past, and now our community needs them to take the necessary steps to address the health and community impacts of this disaster. The time to act is now.”

The Val Verde Civic Association has also submitted a letter to the Board of Supervisors, calling for a State of Emergency and outlining further actions needed to address the health impacts of the landfill, including relocation assistance, a health study and additional oversight from state and county agencies.

See the letter to the Board of Supervisors below.

LA County Board of Supervisors SOE Request.docx