Vote Delayed on Antonovich Plan to Enforce Limits on Lopez Dump

Faced with defeat, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich on Tuesday postponed a vote on his proposal to pressure the city of Los Angeles to close Lopez Canyon Landfill within 30 days if violations are not corrected.

Antonovich’s motion to force Los Angeles to reduce dumping at its Lake View Terrace landfill was enthusiastically endorsed by the area’s homeowner groups. But two supervisors, Kenneth Hahn and Deane Dana, said they would vote against the measure, and Ed Edelman said he was leaning against it too. The remaining supervisor, Pete Schabarum, who was not at the board meeting, has indicated that he opposes the proposal.

Antonovich, who postponed the vote until next Tuesday’s meeting, wants the county to enforce a state order that instructs the city to decrease the number of trash trucks entering the landfill to no more than 400 daily and to restrict dumping to 140 acres at the 392-acre site. The California Waste Management Board claims that the city is violating its landfill permit by processing more waste than authorized.

Last month, the county Department of Health Services, which acts as the state’s local enforcement arm, gave the city until mid-September to either close the dump, issue a plan detailing how it would comply with the new restrictions or apply for a new permit.

“All we’re asking the city of Los Angeles to do is abide by the law,” Antonovich said. “We can’t become a partner to the city by turning a blind eye.”

Some Oppose Crackdown

But some supervisors said they oppose a crackdown because Lopez, which receives two-thirds of the city’s residential trash, is the only city dump within Los Angeles. They fear that a closure would divert Los Angeles’ trash to landfills elsewhere in the county.

“We have a dilemma here in Los Angeles,” Hahn said. “Trash is piling up. We have trash to dispose of; we have to get rid of it.”

After the meeting, a Lake View Terrace Home Owners Assn. representative claimed that Antonovich’s colleagues were motivated by parochial concerns. He said the county has not closed the city dump because it fears that landfills in the county would fill up quicker.

“I’m very sorry to see this indication that the board doesn’t want to take a leadership position,” said Lewis Snow, the group’s vice president.

But Ralph Lopez, county deputy director of environmental health, said the county is not guilty of foot-dragging.

“Our problem as of now is there is no significant public health threat,” Lopez said. Therefore, he said, “we’re not willing to come in and close it down immediately.”

The dump’s fate most likely will be decided in court. On Sept. 26, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge will hold a hearing on the city’s lawsuit opposing the state’s restrictions.