SUN VALLEY BLINDSIDED ON GARBAGE? MAJOR EXPANSIONS PLANNED FOR FOUR TRASH FACILITIES CONCERN RESIDENTS.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer

SUN VALLEY - City planning and environmental officials have failed to publicize the major expansions of several garbage facilities, raising concern that Sun Valley could be transformed into L.A.'s trash capital with little input from residents.

Four trash transfer and recycling stations are planned for Sun Valley, already home to the Bradley Landfill. If all are approved, the area could receive up to 17,200 tons of waste per day.

Residents say no one has analyzed the potential increase in diesel-truck traffic, odors and dust if all the expansions are granted. And there's been almost no public outreach or information on three of the four projects.

"It's unfair, it's unbelievable that these projects are being approved," said Cynthia Despres with the East Valley Coalition. "They're being rushed through, and the community is being exploited."

Despres and resident Exiquio Ruiz recently discovered that a Sun Valley transfer station expansion was about to be approved by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the state panel which oversees all refuse sites, and flew to Sacramento to protest.

The permit for American Waste Industries would allow the company to take up to 700 tons of trash and food waste each day.

In response, American Waste postponed its permit application for 30 days so the company could hold a public hearing. Now, Councilwoman Wendy Greuel is calling for a full environmental study.

But residents - and some politicians - are concerned that Los Angeles officials are pushing through Sun Valley projects without hearings and without considering the air pollution, traffic and community impacts.

"There's already serious problems in Sun Valley with air quality, water quality and contaminated sites," Assemblywoman Cindy Monta ez said. "Seventeen thousand tons coming in and out of an area - that can have a dramatic impact on quality of life in Sun Valley. That's why greater attention needs to be brought to this area."

Knowing that several big trash facility projects were on the horizon for Sun Valley, Monta ez, D-San Fernando, sponsored legislation in 2003 that required local agencies to hold a public hearing when there's a significant permit change at a garbage operation.

She wants the city of L.A. to more thoroughly analyze these waste permits and hold the required public meetings.

However, Los Angeles has only required one project - the proposed Bradley Landfill expansion and transfer station - to complete an environmental impact report that considered cumulative impacts. The company voluntarily held English- and Spanish-language public meetings.

They seek to expand Bradley Landfill for one year and then build a 7,500-ton-per-day transfer and recycling facility.

Waste Management officials said they have tried to be transparent and respond to community concerns about the proposed expansion by enclosing their trash sorting operation, installing diesel pollution traps on the trucks and offering a community trust fund.

But they couldn't realistically analyze the total air quality and traffic impacts of every major trash project in Sun Valley.

"You'd have to do a full environmental impact analysis for every project in addition to your own," said Doug Corcoran, Waste Management district manager. "The appropriate place to do that is at the individual project and not allow a project to go through without looking at what the impacts are, especially in this neighborhood."

But so far, the three other major trash projects in Sun Valley have had only limited environmental review, and none to evaluate how the increase in garbage trucks and trash could affect the neighborhood.

Earlier this year, the California Integrated Waste Management Board OK'd Sun Valley Paper Stock's plan to increase its recycling operation from 350 tons per day to 750 tons per day.

American Waste Industries now takes construction debris but wants to add 700 tons per day of household trash and food waste for a total of 1,500 tons of material each day. And Community Recycling is seeking to expand its transfer station from 4,800 to 6,700 tons.

All the proposals would enclose the piles of garbage and trash-sorting operations in warehouses, plus they'd use air filters to neutralize odors.

"We're taking a yard that if you drive by now you see big piles and trucks coming and going," said Fred Gaines, an attorney representing Community Recycling. "You put it indoors and you filter the air, and the X number of tons is less important."

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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Permitted and inspected trash facilities

SOURCE: Daily News research

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