News release
The state Assembly on Thursday passed two bills authored by Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, in response to the ongoing public health crisis at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill: the Chiquita Canyon Tax Relief Act (Assembly Bill 27) and the Landfill Fire Safety Act (AB 28).
The bills are designed to provide support for impacted residents and strengthen the state’s response to prevent future landfill disasters.
“For too long, families in Val Verde, Castaic and Santa Clarita have been living with toxic air, worsening health conditions and few protections,” Schiavo said in a news release. “With AB 27 and AB 28, we’re not only offering much-needed relief to impacted residents, we’re making sure this never happens to another community in California.”
The Chiquita Canyon Tax Relief Act, approved 71-0, would ensure that families who received financial assistance after being exposed to toxic gases from the Chiquita Canyon Landfill fire are not penalized for accepting help. The bill excludes these relief payments from state income taxes and ensures they do not disqualify residents from receiving safety-net benefits like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or disability assistance.
The Landfill Fire Safety Act, approved 57-9, would mandate proactive monitoring, public reporting and timely action when underground landfill fires begin. The bill requires operators to notify residents and regulators earlier, submit corrective action plans within 14 days of sustained high subsurface temperatures, and triggers a multi-agency emergency response if conditions worsen. Operators who fail to act could face penalties of up to $1 million per week, with those funds going directly to relocation and relief efforts through the newly created Landfill Subsurface Fire Mitigation Account, the release said.
During Assembly floor debate, Assemblyman Stan Ellis, R-Bakersfield, voiced support for the measure, the release said: “This is catastrophic, there is no excuse for this. I support this bill 100% because in the future we can protect our citizens. It is our job in this body to protect every citizen in the state of California. Assemblymember, I commend you because you are doing exactly that.”
Both bills were drafted in response to the underground reaction at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, which has tripled in size and continues to release toxic chemicals into surrounding neighborhoods, the release said. Residents have reported chronic nosebleeds, vision loss, respiratory issues, and other health issues.
Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics, called the Chiquita Canyon Landfill “the longest continually operating chemical disaster in the country’s history,” the release said.
Both bills now move to the state Senate for consideration.
