Backer of Elsmere Dump Plan Disputes Negative Findings
The president of BKK Corp., which hopes to open a landfill in Elsmere Canyon by 1991, said Tuesday that he was stunned that an environmental impact report on the proposed expansion of the nearby Sunshine Canyon Landfill declared Elsmere a poor choice for a dump.
“You’re kidding,” said BKK President Kenneth B. Kazarian when told of the report’s conclusions. Kazarian said he had not seen the report, which was released last week.
He suggested that the report is an effort by a competing corporation to boost its own dump proposal by criticizing his firm’s site.
BKK, based in Torrance, is preparing its own environmental impact report on the proposed dump in Elsmere Canyon, which lies about two miles northeast of the Golden State-Antelope Valley Freeway interchange. Kazarian said he is confident that geological and environmental studies will conclude that Elsmere is an ideal landfill site.
Private Consultant
The report on the proposed expansion of the Sunshine Canyon dump northwest of Granada Hills was prepared by a private consulting firm for the landfill’s owner, Browning-Ferris Industries. The report said the only irreversible effect of expanding the dump would be destruction of 8,000 oak trees.
The thick, three-volume report devoted hundreds of pages, charts and graphs to the potential impact of expanding Sunshine Canyon but also used 14 pages to explain why Elsmere Canyon should not be used as a dump.
The report said Browning-Ferris once considered Elsmere as a dump site but rejected the idea. The report said soil permeability tests showed that the canyon’s floor was not suitable for a dump and would require a liner.
The report also said nearby faults could produce earthquakes on the site. The canyon could also hold historic buildings, oil drilling equipment and archeological sites, the report said.
No Sites Found
The report conceded that no archeological sites have been discovered in the canyon but said such discoveries are always possible because Indian tribes did live in the region. The report also said the canyon could contain fossils of more than 50 species, including whales and camels.
Kazarian said the report for Browning-Ferris apparently drew its conclusions from incomplete data. “They’re talking about the wrong area,” Kazarian argued, saying his consultants have found no archeologically significant sites in the canyon. The oil drilling equipment lies outside the canyon, he said.
As for the canyon’s soil, he said BKK plans to install protective liners that will exceed the requirements of state environmental law. Kazarian stressed that he had not yet seen the report but said that some of its conclusions appear “intellectually dishonest.”
‘Takes a Shot’
He said he had never seen an environmental impact report that “takes a shot” against a competing project. “That’s what it sounds like at this point,” he said.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, in comments included in the Sunshine Canyon report, said the department was not aware of any technical data to substantiate the criticisms of Elsmere Canyon.
Meanwhile, members of the Elsmere Canyon Preservation Committee, a Santa Clarita citizens group, said they were encouraged by the report’s conclusions. The report could give the group “good, solid ammunition” for its fight against BKK’s plans, said Glen Rollins, a group member.
