COUNTY OFFICIAL SCOLDED : ANTONOVICH CALLS MAN'S COMMENTS `DETRIMENTAL'.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

In a scathing memo to the county Public Works Department, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich lambasted a top-level administrator for his ``mean spirited'' and ``detrimental comments'' made during an Assembly committee hearing on landfills.

Jack Michael, a county legislative representative and special assistant for the department's Waste Management Programs, referred to landfill opponents as ``paid professionals'' and said dumps cause no ``substantive environmental harm'' during an Oct. 2 hearing on solid waste issues before the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

In a memo drafted that day, Antonovich said Michael's comments ``add nothing to the discussion and indeed contribute to the perception that the department is fixated on landfills to the exclusion of any other alternative. They are nothing but mean spirited and detrimental comments by a person (and agency) which should have known better!''

Public Works officials declined comment but said they are reviewing the memo and have not taken action against Michael, a 10-year department employee.

``No one can comment on this until we completely review it,'' department spokeswoman Donna Guyovich said. ``Until we fully review and discuss it with Jack and all the players we're going to decline comment.''

Michael, who lives in Modesto just north of Fresno, did not return phone calls to his offices in Sacramento and Los Angeles. He is responsible for developing and overseeing county solid waste plans, policies and programs. He also represents the county on waste management issues before the Legislature and state agencies.

Santa Clarita city officials, who recently won a decadelong fight against the proposed Elsmere Canyon Landfill, called for Michael's dismissal.

``He's been rude and nasty to our community for a long time. He should be replaced,'' said Councilwoman Jill Klajic, whose volunteer efforts to fight Elsmere drew hundreds of volunteers. ``He never tried to help our community develop appropriate recycling programs that could have helped us.''

In his 10-page testimony, Michael referred to landfill opponents as ``paid professionals that are organized statewide'' and said those who fight dumps live in communities closest to landfills.

Michael also said landfills are safe. ``There never has been a determination made by any agency with responsibility for technical regulation or from any court proceeding, that has found a project . . . to be deficient because of substantive environmental harm,'' he testified.

He added challenges to landfill projects have become ``nothing more than harassment.''

The California Environmental Quality Act ``has been more effective in providing avenues for procedural challenge to delay projects than in protecting the environment,'' he told the committee.

Antonovich dismissed those comments in his memo to Public Works director Harry Stone.

``What nonsense! For starters, virtually every landfill approval given by the county has involved an EIR finding that the project would have adverse environmental impacts that were overridden by a finding that the need for the project outweighed those impacts,'' Antonovich said in his letter.

As an example, Antonovich cited the expansion of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill that was approved by the county ``despite the loss of significant ecological areas and oak trees.''

Antonovich also said landfill alternatives are gaining support among the public.

``Ninety-nine percent of those opposed to landfills oppose landfills because they know that there are superior ways to handle this material,'' he said in his memo. ``Whether those methods are cost-effective is another issue, but I know of no one who would argue that dumping is the environmentally superior alternative.''

Klajic hoped that Antonovich's criticism would lead to better relations between anti-landfill activists and the county.

``Maybe there will be an attitude adjustment on Jack Michael's part,'' she said. ``I'm sure it's embarrassing to him to be reprimanded by one of his bosses in public. Nobody likes to be scolded by someone with as much clout as Antonovich.''