DUMP TOUR RAISES QUESTIONS; ASSEMBLYMAN RAISES AIR QUALITY, TOXICS ISSUES.

Byline: Michael Coit Staff Writer

Assemblyman Scott Wildman toured Sunshine Canyon Landfill on Wednesday as he began a legislative committee's inquiry into health and environmental concerns raised by neighbors opposed to expansion.

Much of the tour was spent showing off the facility that Browning Ferris Industries officials said is sound environmentally and critical to meeting Los Angeles' trash disposal needs well into the next century.

``We're bulletproof,'' said James Aidukas, the landfill's environmental consultant. ``We just have to make sure that in going through the process that the city doesn't stub its toe.''

Wildman, the Glendale Democrat who heads the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, said the three-hour tour, at the invitation of landfill officials, raised as many questions as it answered.

``They were very cooperative and very open,'' he said. ``We now have a basis to ask a number of questions related to health risk assessments and questions related to air quality and monitoring of toxins on the site,'' Wildman said.

Joining Wildman on the tour was Jimmy Blackman, assistant to Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa. The speaker is running for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 and has said he would veto the measures allowing the reopening of the landfill.

The tour was a first step that could lead to a formal state audit of the landfill operation and BFI's proposal to expand operations from county land into the city of Los Angeles within a half-mile of homes in Granada Hills.

BFI proposes reopening the city portion of the 394-acre landfill in 2001 to take in 55 million tons of trash over the next 25 years. Los Angeles County allowed the landfill to open across the city-county border in 1993 with a condition that BFI seek city approval to resume dumping.

The City Council has delayed several final votes on the expansion and the next scheduled vote is Dec. 8.

Landfill officials invited Wildman for the tour after he called on the state Department of Health Services to assess potential health risks associated with the proposed expansion.

The city called for the study in 1988, but it was abandoned after the city portion of the landfill was closed in 1991.

BFI officials told Wildman there were no indications of greater health risks in neighboring areas to warrant the study and that BFI submitted its review to the city.

Wildman said he asked BFI to document why the health assessment requested by the city wasn't done.

``This is a concern of residents in the San Fernando Valley and other members of the Legislature. It's where we should be. We've done this with a number of issues,'' he said.

Wildman's committee has received or commissioned more than 90 audits since 1996, when he became chairman. Some 20 preliminary investigations didn't result in audits, but did trigger informational hearings or legislation.

BFI officials contended the Sunshine Canyon expansion is needed because the Bradley West Landfill in Sun Valley will close in three years and the city will need someplace to dump 9,000 tons of trash per day.

Driving trash trucks 13 miles farther up the Golden State Freeway to Chiquita Canyon Landfill will create more air pollution. Hauling trash by rail cars to San Bernardino County will be too costly for the city and would take more time to set up than the city can afford, BFI officials said.

``This is the best option. It just makes a whole lot of sense to utilize this property,'' Aidukas said.

Wildman questioned whether the city's successful recycling program would buy enough time for the city to consider alternatives to the landfill's expansion.

The city is diverting 46 percent of the trash it once sent to landfills, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Browning Ferris Industries, owner-operator of Sunshine Canyon Landfill, is seeking approval to reopen the Los Angeles city side of the dump. Area residents oppose the move.

(2) Heavy equipment moves and covers trash every day on the working Los Angeles County side of the Sunshine Landfill. An expansion would bring the dump to within a half-mile of homes. Assemblyman Scott Wildman says he wants careful environmental review of the proposal.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer