COUNCIL DELAYS VOTE ON LANDFILL UNTIL OCTOBER; NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN OF BURDEN.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

In the face of vehement opposition from more than 75 residents - fearful of hazardous waste, groundwater contamination and dust storms - the Los Angeles City Council put off a decision Tuesday on allowing the revival of the Sunshine Canyon landfill in Granada Hills.

For more than an hour, residents complained about the history of the landfill, closed a decade ago, and said they feared the proposal to reopen it could allow it to become the nation's largest dump - unfairly burdening them with trash from the fast-growing northern region of the county.

``They have destroyed the heart of the canyon, and they want you to believe they want to preserve the area,'' said Esther Simmons, a member of the North Valley Coalition fighting the reopening of the 394-acre landfill.

``There will be more pollution, more dust and contaminating the drinking water, and more sickness among children and the elderly. All in all, it's a bad deal for the city.''

Granada Hills residents also got support from people who live near the Lopez Canyon landfill, like Phyllis Hines.

``It is completely unfair for the people who surround that landfill to have to live with this. Use some common sense and give these people a break,'' she implored council members during the public hearing.

Council members delayed a final decision until Oct. 26 after staff members testified they were still working with city agencies and Browning Ferris Industries over mitigation proposals.

The proposed reopening of the landfill on city property would allow it to eventually take in 55 million tons of trash over 26 years. Opponents said that could make it the largest - in size and volume - in the nation.

BFI, which has lobbied heavily for the reopening, remained confident an agreement would be worked out with the city, said spokesman Arnie Berghoff. He said BFI representatives chose to await city staff recommendations on the mitigation proposals before testifying.

Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents the area and lives south of the landfill, said current mitigation proposals don't go far enough.

``This landfill should not be opened,'' Bernson said. ``The mitigations are a sliver of what's needed. What we really should be doing is looking at new ways to get rid of our trash.

``What we are doing is ancient. We're just burying our trash. We should be looking at ways to develop modern technology to turn this trash into energy.''

Residents also criticized the mitigation measures proposed by Councilman Mike Feuer as failing to address the immediate community and falling far short.

Feuer proposed having landfill operator BFI provide closed air conditioning at Van Gogh Elementary School. He also proposed BFI pay a franchise fee that would generate up to $5 million a year to be split several ways: community improvements; retrofitting city and private trucks from diesel to cleaner-burning fuel; and a portion to the city general fund.

``Sure we're concerned about the diesel trucks, but that's far from the major issue,'' said Mary Edwards, a member of the North Valley Coalition that has been fighting the landfill for more than 30 years.

Coalition member Wayde Henry also questioned the way the fee would be spent.

``Does that mean the whole city will benefit at the expense of this community? It doesn't seem fair,'' he said.

Feuer said he had offered the proposals as a way to get some control over the landfill's operation that were not now included and that he would oppose its reopening unless his suggestions were approved.

``We are asking a lot of the residents of the North Valley, and we can do a better job than what is on the table so far about addressing legitimate needs and goals for that community and all of us in the city of Los Angeles.''

Several council members indicated they would stand with Bernson in opposing the landfill's reopening, but he said he didn't believe he would have the 10 votes needed to overturn the recommendation of the city Planning Commission.

``I'm getting more support than I thought, but I don't think there are 10 votes there,'' Bernson said.

Among those who voiced support for him were Council members Feuer, Mike Hernandez, Nate Holden and Joel Wachs.

Barbara Fine, a former member of the city's Solid Waste Advisory Board, said the city and county have ignored major factors in considering the landfill permit and what would happen if a joint powers authority of the city and county was created, as is proposed.

``Landfills are not good neighbors,'' Fine said. ``Who benefits from this? Obviously, BFI does. The city will only be putting 2,000 tons of trash in there.

``But this landfill can take in 12,500 tons of trash a day and can go up to 17,500 tons. The additional expansion is not for the city. It's for the north county area, the fastest-growing area of the county. The county is providing for 64,000 more residences in that area.''

Fine said she believes the city Planning Commission should have required a full environmental impact report addressing the expected growth.

The landfill closed in 1991 when the city rejected an expansion plan and later tried to block access to the county portion of the facility. In losing a legal challenge, the city was forced to open up the city portion of the landfill.

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Map

Map: Sunshine Canyon Landfill - Granada Hills

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