The Assembly Natural Resources Committee has advanced the Landfill Safety Act (AB28), authored by Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth), in a step toward protecting public health and preventing future landfill disasters.

The bill comes in direct response to the worsening health crisis at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill where an underground fire recently tripled in size, now spanning nearly 100 acres and continues to release toxic and cancer-causing chemicals into nearby communities.

“I’ve been in Castaic now for five years. Within that time I went from running two miles a day to using inhalers twice a day,” said Castaic resident Elizabeth Jeffords. “On a daily basis I experience vision loss, debilitating headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, fatigue, stomach cramping, ear pain, brain fog, muscle spasms, Tremors, skin rashes, slurred speech and delirium. The internal vibrations and grinding got so bad last year, I started to lose teeth. If I weren’t living this, I wouldn’t believe it. But this is real, for me and too many of my neighbors.”

Residents living nearby in Val Verde, Castaic and Santa Clarita, have reported a variety of health concerns, including chronic nosebleeds, migraines, tremors, sight loss, brain fog, difficulty breathing, respiratory problems.

“Communities should never have to wait for a full-blown health crisis before action is taken” said Schiavo. “If landfills operators are proactive, these fires and the health crisis that follows can be prevented. The Landfill Safety Act does just that, it makes sure we don’t just react to disasters, we prevent them.”

The Landfill Safety Act strengthens oversight by requiring landfill operators to:

— Alert nearby residents and local enforcement when subsurface temperatures exceed 146°F for over 60 consecutive days.

— Submit a corrective action plan within 14 days of high temperatures.

— Trigger a multi-agency response team if temperatures continue rising, ensuring timely coordination and oversight.

— Face penalties and potential loss of permits for failure to act.

— Creates the Landfill Subsurface Fire Mitigation Account so penalty funds can go to support impacted communities for things like relocation, home hardening, and other impacts from burning landfills.

These new requirements aim to fill gaps in current monitoring procedures, which failed to prevent the Chiquita Canyon Landfill disaster.

“Chiquita Canyon is the longest continually operating chemical disaster in the country’s history, and it’s happening right here in California,” said Jane Williams, Executive Director of California Communities Against Toxins.

The bill now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration.

“The Landfill Safety Act brings transparency, accountability and urgency to a system that has allowed too many warning signs to be ignored,” said Assemblywoman Schiavo. “This is about protecting the health and safety of communities from long-term exposure to dangerous chemicals.”

Prior to the committee hearing, a press conference was held with impacted neighbors and supporters spotlighting their worsening symptoms and the urgent need for stronger landfill oversight and accountability. The press conference can be viewed here.