VAL VERDE WON'T GIVE UP ON DUMP FIGHT.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

Undeterred by preliminary approval of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill expansion, a group of Val Verde residents plans to take its fight to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Members of the Val Verde Civic Association began taking steps Tuesday to enlist the aid of Santa Clarita, which has lent technical assistance to the community in the past.

Now landfill opponents hope the city will support their appeal in anticipation of the county Regional Planning Commission's final approval of the landfill expansion.

"The war is never going to end until it's over," said Lewis Berti, a Val Verde landfill opponent. "We can't allow them to destroy our valley's health."

Landfill opponents suffered a blow Monday when Laidlaw Waste Systems Inc. received tentative approval from the county Regional Planning Commission to accept up to 5,000 tons of trash a day for 10 years. The commission would review the landfill operation when its permit is due to expire.

"We're very happy," said Charles Leonard, senior vice president of U.S. Operations for Laidlaw Waste Systems. "I think we've demonstrated it's a fine facility and we proved that case to the Regional Planning Commission."

The commission is expected to make a final decision within 60 days when Laidlaw submits a final environmental impact report, Leonard said.

Chiquita, built in 1968, is scheduled to close in 1997. Laidlaw is seeking a conditional use permit to expand the landfill to hold an additional 30 million tons of trash for up to 70 years.

In its preliminary approval, the commission severely scaled down Laidlaw's original request, which called for a 20-year permit allowing 10,000 tons of trash a day. The landfill now accepts about 1,750 tons of trash a day.

The commission also proposed creating a citizen advisory committee, which would use experts to monitor landfill operations.

Despite the conditions, landfill opponents said they would not give up their fight against the expansion of Chiquita, located near Val Verde off Highway 126.

"I wouldn't call it a victory," said Ruth Griffin, president of the Val Verde Civic Association. "We were acknowledged. A victory would have been to redo the draft environmental impact report."

Santa Clarita city officials said they were not sure what effect the county's preliminary decision would have on the proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill, but emphasized they would not retreat from that fight.

"I'm not sure it has any direct impact on Elsmere," said Deputy City Manager Jeff Kolin, who is overseeing the city's fight against Elsmere. "Our concern is more on the impact of each particular project on surrounding communities."

Added Councilwoman Jan Heidt: "I don't think you can take anything for granted. I don't think there's going to be any easing off" of the proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill.

Both Elsmere and Chiquita lie outside city limits.

Elsmere - which cannot be built without approvals from the Regional Planning Commission and the U.S. Forest Service - is planned in a 1,500-acre canyon in the Angeles National Forest just south of the San Fernando Road and Antelope Valley Freeway interchange.