CITY OFFICIALS MAKE STAND AGAINST ELSMERE DUMP SITE.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

City officials hope that a visit they paid to the state Integrated Waste Management Board this week will help in future fights against an Elsmere Canyon landfill.

Though the board approved the Los Angeles County waste plan, which includes Elsmere, the members stated for the record that the document's approval in no way indicated support for a dump in the Santa Clarita Valley canyon.

The county's so-called Siting Element was up for final approval by the state board, which met Wednesday in San Rafael, north of San Francisco. City Council members Jill Klajic and Laurene Weste, as well as city staff members and local Elsmere dump opponents, attended the meeting.

``They did exactly what we thought they would do. They approved the Siting Element,'' said Mike Murphy, the city's intergovernmental relations officer. ``Their attorney made the case that they had no ability to reach into the element and take this out or put this in. They had to look at whether the county followed procedure.''

The decision did not mean that the board supports a dump in Elsmere Canyon, members told the city representatives. Browning-Ferris Industries, which owns 1,200 acres in Elsmere that could accommodate an 80 million-ton facility, still would need to submit an application and go through the environmental review process. The board gives final approval on proposed dumps and would review the final application.

``They said, if this comes before us, we don't think this is a good place for a dump,'' Klajic said. ``They did send a message to the county that if they are still there when the project comes up for a vote, they're not going to look upon it favorably.''

City representatives argued that the dump is not necessary because the county can meet its waste requirements without it. And as long as the land use in Elsmere Canyon is unclear, surrounding landowners will be hesitant to develop it because of a risky financial investment, Murphy said.

``We let them know that the waste board was giving preferential land use to a dump that may never be built,'' Murphy said. ``That has a chilling effect on our economy. Those neighboring properties may never be developed.''

Klajic said the city participants went expecting that their arguments would not persuade the board. But their voices were needed to put their side on the record, she said.

``We knew we didn't have a leg to stand on, but we felt we had to give our arguments. And we did. We gave some good ones,'' Klajic said.

And though the hearing gave the city some hope that the board might not approve an Elsmere dump proposal, board members change over the years and could change their minds, Klajic said.

In addition, the county repeated its position Wednesday that it intended to pursue the construction of the dump, Klajic said.

``The county was extremely clear that they felt they had this project before them,'' Klajic said. ``That's exactly what they intend to do. It's really discouraging that they're going to make us go through the whole process again.''