6 days ago
Val Verde residents say nearby toxic Chiquita Canyon landfill is making them sick
The Brief
The Chiquita Canyon Landfill has been closed since January.
Acres of garbage are burning deep inside the landfill.
Nearby residents say their health has been negatively impacted by the toxic fumes and liquids coming from the facility.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - After FOX 11 got a look inside the now-closed Chiquita Canyon Landfill in the Castaic area, residents in Val Verde invited us to visit and see first-hand the health troubles the community is facing because, they say, of the landfill.
What we know
Assemblymembers Pilar Schiavo, Juan Carrillo and Anamarie Avila Farias, and Congressman George Whitesides visited with Val Verde residents on Friday. The community is right next to the landfill, which stopped taking in garbage in January.
What they're saying
Residents are grappling with health problems they blame on the toxic fumes released by the landfill.
PREVIOUS: FOX 11 tours Chiquita Canyon landfill
The other side
Chiquita Canyon officials deny that emissions are causing the problems they're describing: things like rashes, nosebleeds, nausea, respiratory ailments and cancer.
Chiquita offered a community relief program when the reaction was first acknowledged, but has since stopped the program. Residents say they need relocation funds, because their homes are unsellable.
What's next
Schiavo is working on multiple pieces of legislation she hopes will solve the issue. AB28, the Landfill Safety Act, would strengthen oversight and impose large penalties to fund relief and relocation for the communities impacted by the landfill. AB27, the Chiquita Canyon Tax Relief Act, would ensure that families who received relief funds would not face tax penalties.
Val Verde residents, though, say legislation takes time, and they don't have that luxury.
The Source
Information in this story is from interviews with Val Verde residents and Chiquita Canyon officials, and previous FOX 11 reports.
