COUNTY TO LOOK AT HOSPITAL TRASH; OFFICIALS PLAN CLEANUP OF WASTE ITEMS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered an investigation into why High Desert Hospital officials dumped furniture, broken cement and other debris over five acres of desert.

The piles between the county-run hospital and the state prison near 60th Street West and Avenue I included pieces of concrete, hospital beds, gurneys, exam tables, broken desks and chairs, and junked vehicles.

``Products that can be used or sold are being allowed to deteriorate outdoors,'' Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said in a written statement. ``At a time when we are working to eliminate illegal dumping in the Antelope Valley, the health department is doing just the opposite.''

Antonovich's field office in Palmdale received an anonymous telephone call Dec. 31 alerting them to the dumping.

Hospital officials declined to comment on the dump, but Antonovich's staff said they were told that hospital employees were working with county Fire Department crews to sort the materials and were waiting for a private salvage company to remove much of it, officials said.

Some work appeared to be going on Tuesday toward cleaning up the mess.

Officials at High Desert Hospital referred all queries to the Department of Health Services headquarters. Officials there could not be reached for comment.

In the motion approved unanimously by supervisors, Health Services Department Director Mark Finucane was directed to investigate the matter and report back to the board in one week on the status of efforts to clean up the area.

Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen also was told to report on the policy of each county department for the storage and disposal of salvageable supplies and equipment.

After Antonovich's office received the anonymous tip, his field representative, Sherry Lasagna, visited the site and was alarmed by the size of the piles.

``They told me that they had it stored in various places waiting for it to go to salvage. It used to be that in the county when you had things to salvage, it went to one big warehouse,'' Lasagna said. ``The warehouse is no longer in existence. They now have to go to private vendors. They were waiting for a vendor to collect it.''

Lasagna noted that Antonovich two years ago created an illegal dumping task force to combat the problem of people and businesses dumping trash in the desert.

County officials are beginning a series of hearings on a proposal requiring all property owners in unincorporated areas to subscribe to trash-hauling services.

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Photo: High Desert Hospital officials are said to be waiting on private vendors to clean up the trash.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News