TRASH COLLECTORS SUED RESIDENTS CLAIM THEY WERE OVERCHARGED.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Santa Clarita residents have been overcharged by at least $5 million for waste disposal for possibly a decade, according to a class action lawsuit filed against several trash hauling companies.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by five Santa Clarita residents, accuses nine companies, including Blue Barrel Disposal and Waste Management Inc., and former trash hauler Consolidated Disposal Services, with breach of contract, breach of the California Business and Professions Code and fraud.

The plaintiffs say the defendants failed to adjust the costs of trash hauling, based on the amount the companies pay to dump waste in landfills. The cost to dump at landfills also has not been disclosed by the companies, another claim made by the plaintiffs.

``What I see here is major corporations billing the citizens out of millions,'' said Greg Owen, an attorney for the plaintiffs and a Santa Clarita resident. ``What bothers us is it's something we see in the news all the time now and that's corporate greed. I'm very anxious to see the history of the rates. What will come out of this lawsuit is the truth. We'll know exactly what it costs to dump at these landfills.''

Representatives from Blue Barrel and Consolidated did not return telephone calls Thursday.

But Owen said attorneys and residents have spent more than a year conducting research on the contracts. He said the inflated costs to residents began in 1997, but could have gone back to 1992, one year after the city approved contracts with the nine defendants.

The city last month approved a $103 million trash contract with Blue Barrel and Burrtec Waste Industries, which brought rates down from $22.13 to $18.64 a month. Blue Barrel won a $70 million residential contract while a $35 million contract went to Burrtec Waste Industries. Burrtec was not named in the suit.

Attorney Howard Snyder, who also is representing the plaintiffs, said the suit could have far-reaching implications. Residents beyond the Santa Clarita Valley could have been affected, he said.

He also said the lawsuit could force city officials to answer related questions.

``The action is being brought on behalf of all the consumers in Santa Clarita,'' Snyder said. ``It's an all-inclusive action. The scope of this is very wide.''

Santa Clarita city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said city officials had not seen the lawsuit as of Thursday.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com