Sunshine Canyon
Landfill Needs a Sunset, Says POWER
November 04, 2005 — By ENN
SANTA MONICA, California — The
Sunshine Canyon landfill in the San Fernando Valley could expose
residents in the region to more trash for a far longer period than they
are being told, according to Protect Our Water and Environmental
Resources (POWER), a coalition of environmental and labor groups
dedicated to protecting residents of Southern California from the
dangers of landfills. The community surrounding Sunshine Canyon should
not be forced to bear the burdens of the landfill for longer than
governmental reports previously represented.
A permit proposal for Sunshine Canyon, submitted by BFI/Allied Waste,
will be considered at a hearing Thursday at the Los Angeles County
Regional Planning Commission. Area residents should know that previous
environmental documents stating that the facility has the capacity to
receive 90 million tons and would close after about 26 years are
unreliable. This is because there is no provision guaranteeing that the
landfill will close when it receives 90 million tons or after 26 years.
POWER is requesting that the Commission require a tonnage limit or
closure date.
Sunshine Canyon could actually take in much more waste than 90 million
tons, according to a new study prepared for the coalition by landfill
engineer J.W. Spear, who has more than 25 years of experience in the
waste management industry. The study found that 24 million to 57 million
more tons of waste could go into the landfill, on top of the 90 million
that has been projected.
"Mr. Spear's credentials are impressive and the North Valley Coalition
believes his conclusions support our contention that this landfill will
be much larger than analyzed in the environmental documentation. Its
impacts on the community, indeed the city and county as a whole, have
not been adequately addressed," said Wayde Hunter, President of the
North Valley Coalition, which represents residents in the area of the
landfill.
Because the tonnage determines the closure date of the landfill, this
could mean that the landfill would operate far longer than the 26 years
now estimated. There is no requirement that will force the landfill to
close when 90 million tons have been deposited or when 26 years have
elapsed.
"The North San Fernando Valley continues to suffer from the negative
effects of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. The time has come to put an end
to this environmentally polluting practice and start recovering our
waste for beneficial use as described in my RENEW LA plan," said Los
Angeles City Councilmember Greig Smith.
The POWER coalition includes the North Valley Coalition, Sierra Club,
Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Law Foundation, and the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Source: PR Newswire, Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources
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