At its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Los Angeles County Community Advisory Committee for Chiquita Canyon Landfill will address Notices of Violations of the landfill’s Conditional Use Permit and air quality standards for surrounding communities.

A review by the L.A. County Department of Regional Planning resulted in DRP issuing Notices of Violation on June 11 to Chiquita Canyon LLC, or CCL, which operates the landfill at 29201 Henry Mayo Drive in Castaic, citing the following CUP violations:

1). Condition 68: “The permittee shall conduct air quality monitoring at areas surrounding the facility.” Per L.A. County Public Works, the landfill is still not monitoring air quality within a five-mile radius, which includes the community of Val Verde. The penalty for this violation is $1,000 per day beginning April 15, 2020.

2). Condition 77: “Within a year from the Effective Date, the permittee shall close the existing site entrance on Henry Mayo Drive (State Road 126) and relocate the site entrance, along with all its auxiliary facilities, to a new site located on Wolcott Drive…” Public Works granted extensions on this deadline to April 30, 2020.

“CCL’s lack of diligence and failure to complete, or even commence, the construction of the project by such date resulting in a violation of Condition 77.” The penalty for this violation is $1,000 per day beginning May 1, 2020.

3). Condition 79: “Within 90 days from the Effective Date, the permittee shall provide to the Department of Public Works for review and approval a set of schedules for the commencement of the ‘Chiquita Canyon Landfill Street Improvement Project.'” Street improvements were to be completed no more than two years from the Conditional Use Permit’s July 2017 effective date.

As with Condition 77, Public Works gave Chiquita an extended deadline of April 30, 2020. “CCL’s lack of diligence and failure to complete, or even commence, the construction of the project by such date resulting in a violation of Condition 79.” The penalty for this violation is $1,000 per day beginning May 1, 2020.

4). Condition 113: “All financial records shall; be preserved for a period of three years and shall be available for inspection by the DPH, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Regional Planning, and the Treasurer and Tax Collector during normal business hours and shall be forwarded to such agencies upon request.”

Conditions 114(b) and (c) require the permittee to pay 10% of all revenue generated by the sale of landfill gas and any other revenue-generating activity at the landfill.

Public Works required CCL to provide five categories of documents per Condition 113, but CCL failed to provide documents in four of the five requested categories relating to the landfill’s revenue generation.

“Any person violating a provision of this grant is guilty of a misdemeanor pursuant to Section 22.242.030 of the County Code,” the Notice of Violation reads.

“Notice is further given that the Regional Planning Commission or a Hearing Officer may, after conducting a public hearing in accordance with Section 22.238.040, et. seq. of the County Code, revoke or modify this grant.”

Department of Regional Planning Director Amy J. Bodek gave Chiquita 30 days to respond to the June 11 Notice of Violation.

Read the complete June 11 Notice of Violation below.

[Open .pdf in new window]

Air Quality Citations
In addition to the June 11 Department of Regional Planning Notice of Violation, the South Coast Air Quality Management District cited Chiquita 11 times between July 7 and August 13, 2020, “for discharging such quantities of air contaminants to cause injury, detriment, nuisance or annoyance to a considerable number of persons.”

Michael Hearns, SCAQMD’s assistant district manager, issued Notices of Violation to the landfill operators for July 7, July 8, July 9, July 27, July 28, July 29, July 30, July 31, August 11, August 12 and August 13.

See the SCAQMD Notices of Violation here.

John Musella, Chiquita spokesperson, on Wednesday afternoon said: “Chiquita Canyon is committed to being a good neighbor and to staying in compliance with our permits, as it has for nearly half a century. When we identify an issue, we work to resolve it immediately.”

Also on the Agenda

* A proposed free disposal day at a Val Verde location (Public Works)

* Community Air Monitoring Plan Update (Public Works)

* Update on Condition No. 69 Compliance-Odor and Air Quality Complaints/NOVs (Public Works/Regional Planning)

Meeting Participation Details

The Advisory Committee’s Tuesday, Sept. 8 virtual meeting via Zoom will start at 6 p.m.

Click this link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82459841307

Or iPhone one-tap:

US: +16699006833,,82459841307# or +13462487799,,82459841307#

Or Telephone:

Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 436 2866

Webinar ID: 824 5984 1307

International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kU9db4y8V.