Have you or your family been harmed as a result of a landfill in your community?

Some smells from landfills can be associated with gases or chemicals that can be harmful to residents exposed day after day. Another Southern California landfill got attention after a lawsuit stemming from residents complaining of a putrid smell, like that of an onion. This smell was ultimately associated with dimethyl sulfide (DMS); exposure to DMS can lead to many symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, coughing, shortness of breath, irritation of the respiratory tract, ulcers in the nose/throat, pulmonary edema, and coma.

This is all happening at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Currently, it is getting even more attention because things are actually worsening. Operators are being pressured by the community, different environmental agencies, and now the Los Angeles County Supervisor. Although operators are definitely under scrutiny, they continue to do nothing about the situation. Over 900 households in surrounding communities are affected by the foul odors coming from the landfill.

According to reports, a white vapor was been observed hissing through cracks on the surface of the affected areas. Although is has been months, operators have been unable to contain the fire within the landfill and the pressure buildup occurring as a result. Vapor is hissing from fissures on the surface of the landfill, and liquid escaping from the landfill is creating bubbling ponds at the surface. Sometimes, hot liquid bursts into the air like geysers.

Unfortunately, the latest local air and water samples have identified elevated benzene levels (benzene is a cancer-causing chemical that is found in cigarettes). Benzene evaporates easily, so it is reaching nearby communities. In addition to an increased cancer risk, Benzene has been associated with irritation to the lungs, dizziness, and headaches, for example.

A few months back, in early October of 2023, a landfill community monitoring station detected benzene at levels of 69.5 parts per billion; this is more than eight times the limit. Reportedly, the landfill obtained these results in early November; still, this information was not released to the AQMD until many weeks later.

A health study determined that the fumes coming from the landfill could cause short-term health effects but do not pose a significant increase risk of cancer. Community members are not happy with these findings and actually believe that the report is downplaying the situation. In fact, this report caused Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger to make a call to action and urge the landfill owners to take immediate steps to address the landfill odors – and to relocate residents until odor problems are resolved. Barger highlighted the fact that the situation has been going on for over eight months and that the fact that the community is suffering cannot be denied. She stated that affected residents should not be expected to continue to live in such conditions.

Residents continue to complain about the odors; most of them claim that they have experienced different symptoms and have been affected in different ways. One resident claims that she has experienced difficulty breathing as well as disorientation. Another resident claims that the odors have caused her to essentially be trapped indoors, unable to do any outdoor hobbies or even host her grandchildren. Both of these residents claim that their quality of life is gone.

Now that the Los Angeles County Supervisor has brought additional attention to the situation, residents are hopeful that the landfill operators will finally do something about the foul odors and toxic fumes coming from their landfill.

This update with the Chiquita Canyon Landfill has residents affected by the Sunshine Canyon landfill to be hopeful that things will change for the better in their own communities.