SNIFFING OUT FOUL ODORS AIR QUALITY REGULATORS SAY LANDFILL MAY BE SOURCE OF VAL VERDE SMELL.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer

VAL VERDE - Air quality regulators are evaluating whether foul odors noticed last week by residents in this semi-rural community originated in the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, and if so, whether they constitute a public nuisance.

A cluster of residents complained about bad smells on Thursday, a day after the South Coast Air Quality Management District conducted an unannounced inspection of the dump and may have identified a possible source of the smells.

"The inspector had concerns about waste that appeared to be not properly covered," said Carol Coy, deputy executive officer of engineering and compliance at AQMD.

An investigation is under way.

Pools of water were found on flat areas on the site, but officials said they likely were formed by recent rains and preliminary findings did not indicate they were caused by liquids leached from waste products.

The dump is set into a canyon southeast of the pastoral town of 1,500. Its owner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Republic Services Inc., wants to add 33 million tons of trash capacity to the current 23 million tons by expanding the 257-acre working area to a total of 355 acres.

Permits have been sought to allow treated sewage on the site.

Many local residents who have long complained that it wafts bad smells their way also have found a way to coexist with the business.

In 1996, the Val Verde Civic Association shelved its opposition to a planned expansion when the landfill's owner agreed to underwrite a community benefits district - at $250,000-year until the dump hits capacity in about seven years.

The settlement has funded parks, tutoring programs and seniors' bus passes.

But in February, the civic association accused the county and the landfill operator of failing to properly monitor the operation.

And last September, and again in February, the agency issued public-nuisance complaints against the dump. Both matters are pending.

Coy said the agency is sensitive to residents' complaints and continues to try to determine all possible causes of foul odors.

Inspectors have made two surprise inspections this year.

On Friday, landfill spokesman Josh Gertler said he was aware residents had complained that the dump was the source of foul odors the day before.

"We are proactively and cooperatively working with the AQMD's management to address odor complaints and to develop measures to address these complaints," he said.

He would not elaborate on what the measures are.

"People live much closer to landfills than they used to," Coy said. "This is unusual in this day and age."

Results of the AQMD's investigation could be made public next week. If the dump is found to have caused a public nuisance, a violation notice would be issued.

judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com

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