Chiquita Canyon Landfill has drawn more than 10,000 complaints, a number of lawsuits and calls for it to close from residents and elected officials and is allegedly dumping untreated stormwater into local waterways, according to a complaint issued this week by state water officials.
The L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board issued another violation Tuesday against Chiquita Canyon Landfill, after Castaic and Val Verde residents sent the agency numerous photos of the landfill allegedly pumping from its stormwater basin into the local waterway at night. Multiple photos were posted to local social media groups as well.
The regional arm of the State Water Boards issued seven steps the landfill is required to take immediately, including:
• “Stop discharge of water into local waterways that flow into the Santa Clara River from the south detention basin and any other stormwater basins using pumping equipment.”
• “Provide dates, times and volumes of discharged water from the basins into local waterways using the pumping equipment.”
• “Stop the discharge of unknown water from vacuum trucks into the local waterway.”
In the nine-page complaint dated Tuesday, the landfill is threatened with fines and further action from the Attorney General’s Office for noncompliance.
“Failure to respond may result in enforcement action, including administrative civil liabilities of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per day of each violation plus $10 per gallon discharged pursuant to California Water Code (Water Code) section 13385,” according to the letter.
The complaint cites an email from Steve Cassulo, general manager of Waste Connections’ Chiquita Canyon Landfill, which states they (landfill officials) “‘utilize a floating pump in the south basin to conduct controlled stormwater discharges to provide further control over settling time,’ and that the pumping of water from the south detention basin was conducted per the facility’s SWPPP (water permit).”
Los Angeles Water Board staff stated no such permissions are noted, and that even if they were, “they are not authorized by the Industrial General Permit.”
The landfill denied that it pumped leachate into the stormwater detention basins or into the Santa Clara River in a statement issued Tuesday.
“Chiquita Canyon does not pump leachate into stormwater detention basins or into the Santa Clara River. In accordance with best management practices, the landfill utilizes flocculant to control solids in the stormwater,” according to a statement issued Tuesday by Steve Cassulo, general manager of Chiquita Canyon Landfill. “Pumps are used to maximize the effectiveness of this best management practice and improve water quality. The landfill has protocols and procedures in place for the proper on-site and off-site handling of leachate. We are actively working on a thorough response to the Regional Water Board’s notice of violation.”
The complaint notes that the landfill manager continued to question water officials’ email regarding the following of best management practices.
“On March 14, 2024, the permittee (Steve Cassulo) provided a photograph showing the pump set-up removed from the spillway structure. On the same day, Los Angeles Water Board staff (Sean Lee) further requested, via email, for the permittee to provide the SWPPP section referencing the pumping and discharge of water from the south detention basin as a BMP,” according to the complaint. “Los Angeles Water Board staff (Sean Lee) received an email from the permittee (Steve Cassulo) the same day, asking why pumping of stormwater from the south detention basin is not allowed to settle solids effectively.”
The agency received another complaint two days later, according to the notice of violation.
“On March 16, 2024, another complaint (COMP-60321) with photographs provided was received through the CalEPA complaint system stating that ‘possible leachate and stormwater pumped offsite by Chiquita Canyon Landfill on multiple dates,’” according to the complaint. “The photographs appear to show a vacuum truck discharging unknown water on the other side of the south detention basin’s spillway which flows into the Santa Clara River.”
Other concerns
The initial concern from the landfill stemmed from its overwhelming production of dimethyl sulfide and other landfill gases that occur naturally at such facilities but happened at a higher-than-average rate due to a subsurface reaction that’s producing the nauseating stink, as well as approximately 1 million gallons of leachate a month.
That leachate is being stored “in tanks and pipes” throughout the Castaic facility, after the landfill was cited months earlier for sending leachate with toxic levels of benzene to a Gardena facility that was not permitted to treat such chemicals.
The leachate is being stored on site as the result of an emergency permission granted by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Zanalee Zmily, a senior environmental scientist representing the DTSC, said the agency had not levied fines yet because it was focusing on mitigation, but that the situation was part of an active investigation.
The problems led Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, to call for the landfill’s closure while it works on its issues. State officials expressed concerns that that might slow the landfill’s response in a community meeting last month.
Similarly, a state-of-emergency declaration has been discussed at the local and state levels, but county officials have said that’s unnecessary to coalesce resources that are already taking a task force approach to the problem.
Later this week, the landfill is facing a legal challenge from an attorney who also sits as a member of the Castaic Area Town Council, a county advisory group for the unincorporated community.
The landfill is facing a class-action lawsuit with more than 200 residents who have claimed the landfill’s air and water pollution is responsible for their health problems. The same attorney also has filed a writ of mandate and complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief seeking to shut down the facility. The effort to shut down the landfill has a case-management hearing Friday.
An SCV water official said the agency is concerned about leachate releases from the Chiquita Canyon Landfill site and supports the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board’s order to investigate leachate releases. SCV Water does not have authority to require the landfill to investigate the impact of the releases, but has requested that the regional board have Chiquita Canyon Landfill test for contaminants that impact drinking water quality as part of its investigation order, according to a statement from the agency.
However, the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board also recently called on the landfill to create monitoring wells in between the southern border of the landfill and the Santa Clara River in order to check for any potential impacts.
