CITY WANTS SUNSHINE STRATEGY.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer Citing a state report on potential groundwater problems, the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. asked city officials Friday to develop a strategy to keep Sunshine Canyon Landfill from expanding into Granada Hills. ``We are talking about the public health here, not just in Granada Hills but in all of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' said Councilman Hal Bernson Hal Bernson served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 12th district. He was chair of the Transportation Committee. Prior to being on the City Council, he served in the Navy. Preceded by Robert M. , who represents the area, in his request for a detailed report from the city's Environmental Affairs Department. Bernson said a recent report from the state's Regional Water Qualify Control Board raised concerns over potential contamination of the groundwater under the landfill. ``Even though this is in county territory, the water flows downhill into the city and could endanger our water supply,'' Bernson said. Greg Loughnane, district manager for Browning Ferris Industries, dismissed the state's concerns that groundwater might eventually become contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. . ``There is no groundwater contamination,'' Loughnane said. ``We remain very confident in our position in the type of landfill we operate.'' Bernson, who has long opposed the Sunshine Canyon operation, has been joined by Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California in seeking to shut down the existing operation in an unincorporated area In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, i.e., a city or town with its own government. and prevent its reopening in Granada Hills, where it was shut down in 1992. ``The mayor supports any plan to make sure it doesn't reopen,'' spokeswoman Julie Wong said. Mary Edwards of the North Valley Coalition said she remains hopeful Bernson and Hahn will be successful. ``It has been so nice out here since the landfill closed, and we just don't want to see the problems return,'' Edwards said. ``We have argued for years that the groundwater was being contaminated. Anyone who says it isn't is being less than candid.'' Under Bernson's proposal, the city would report to the council on different options to keep the city portion from reopening as well as on the current operations and any environmental threat they present. ``We must develop a coordinated strategy to address all the pending permits for Sunshine Canyon's expansion,'' Bernson said. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15 1960) is the current City Attorney of Los Angeles, California. Career
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