BAN COULD THWART HAHN'S TRASH PLAN.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich proposed Tuesday barring Los Angeles from dumping its trash at Lancaster Landfill - a move that could thwart Mayor James Hahn's plan to haul garbage outside the city limits.

Antonovich's motion, which the board postponed for two weeks, is designed to head off an attempt by Los Angeles to ship any of the 4,700 tons of trash it generates daily to the landfill in north Los Angeles County.

The city's trash currently goes to Sunshine Canyon Landfill, but Hahn has said he opposes the use of urban landfills and has pledged to end the city's contract with the Granada Hills dump.

``The city of Los Angeles has not done any real comprehensive long-range planning for its own solid waste. It's closed down landfills within the city and prevented new landfills from opening,'' said Paul Novak, Antonovich's planning deputy.

``They're basically saying, our solution is to export it to Palmdale, Lancaster and Corona.''

But city officials said they are working on a long-term plan for Los Angeles' garbage, including expanding its recycling programs, and working with the county on broad solutions to handling garbage.

``This really is tantamount to trash NIMBY-ism when, really, we're looking at a regional approach to handling our trash,'' said Deputy Mayor Brian Williams.

``We have to make sure that what we're doing is communicated with everybody so they know and we know that we're not trying to dump trash in other people's back yards.''

Waste Management Inc. has included the Lancaster Landfill, Antelope Valley Landfill in Palmdale and El Sobrante Landfill in Corona in its bid for Los Angeles's half-billion dollar residential trash contract. It also has proposed expanding the Lancaster and Palmdale dumps.

The company is in final negotiations with the Bureau of Sanitation, and new price estimates are expected to go to the Board of Public Works in mid-April.

In his motion, Antonovich asked county staff to research how to restrict the ability of Lancaster Landfill, which is in county jurisdiction, from taking trash from outside the Antelope Valley.

He also asked that the Board of Supervisors write a letter to the City of Palmdale, which has jurisdiction over the Antelope Valley Landfill, requesting that Palmdale also consider barring Los Angeles trash.

County Sanitation Director Rita Robinson predicted that Antonovich's motion could impact Waste Management's ability to handle the city's 4,700 trash.

``It will be a major factor and we will analyze that because it would possibly be one of the landfills that Waste Management would use.''

Waste Management officials refused to speculate on the impact of the supervisor's proposal.

``Working with Supervisor Antonovich to come to a mutually agreeable solution is a priority for us now,'' said Kit Cole, Waste Management's director of community relations.

Kerry Cavanaugh, [phone]

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com