Officials Seek an Order to Halt Odors From Sun Valley Landfill

Air-quality officials Monday filed a petition for an abatement order to halt noxious odors they say have been coming from a landfill site in Sun Valley.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District asked a district hearing board to order a series of corrective steps by L. A. By-Products Co., owner of the Penrose Pit landfill at 8301 Tujunga Ave., and by Pacific Lighting Energy Systems, which produces electric power at the site by burning gas from decomposing trash.

Corrective steps are needed, the petition states, because sulfurous odors from the site are “of such quantity and quality as to cause injury, detriment, nuisance and annoyance to a considerable number of persons.”

Among the measures requested is the placing of material to cover the inactive 72-acre landfill in order to reduce gas emissions.

No date has been set for a public hearing on the request. A hearing is required before the board can issue an abatement order.

Since July 25, the air district has cited L. A. By-Products and Pacific Lighting for odor violations on 17 separate days--including 13 days in September. The district also cited L.A. By-Products on one occasion for excessive methane emissions from the landfill.

Officials of L. A. By-Products could not be reached for comment Monday. A Pacific Lighting spokesman said he had not seen the petition and could not comment.

Officials with the firms said last week that they believe the odors may be coming from other sites in the largely industrial area.

The odors have drawn many complaints from landfill neighbors.