Landfill Group Apologizes for Flyer Misstating Dump’s Support

A group of landfill firms trying to win support for a garbage dump in Elsmere Canyon has circulated a flyer throughout Los Angeles County incorrectly implying that the Santa Clarita City Council has endorsed the landfill proposed for construction just outside city limits.

Bill Kalpakoff, president of the California Disposal Assn., apologized for the flyer Wednesday, saying the trade group would clarify the city’s position in a later mailing. “I’ll make sure it’s corrected,” he said.

The council has repeatedly said it will not officially support or oppose the dump until it reviews an environmental impact report on the project expected this spring. Mayor Jo Anne Darcy called the flyer “pretty presumptuous.”

“There’s no agreement,” Darcy added. “It’s not a done deal.”

Jill Klajic, a local anti-dump activist, said the flyer damages the efforts of Santa Clarita citizens who oppose the landfill. “This is awful, this is just awful,” Klajic said.

About 1,000 flyers were mailed last month to the media, elected officials, chambers of commerce and community leaders in the county, said Hy Weitzman, executive director of the association. The one-page flyer touted a tentative agreement between the Los Angeles City Council and the county Board of Supervisors to operate a dump in Elsmere Canyon.

“It appears now that there is a light at the end of the garbage crisis tunnel,” the flyer began. “If all goes as planned, and there are no political delays caused by opposing groups, we could have additional landfill space available as early as 1995.”

The flyer continues: “The proposed new landfill will be located in Elsmere Canyon, near the city of Santa Clarita. Five entities are involved: the city and county of Los Angeles, the County Sanitation Districts, the BKK Corporation and the city of Santa Clarita.”

The flyer also says that Santa Clarita would be given land by the city of Los Angeles for a city hall site and would be paid for each ton of garbage dumped in the canyon.

The flyer does not mention, however, that Santa Clarita would receive the land and money only if the Santa Clarita City Council agrees not to oppose the dump or that the council has not approved the agreement.

Weitzman said he was not aware that Santa Clarita had not endorsed the dump and said the association did not intend to misrepresent the city. Weitzman said he obtained his information for the flyer from the County Sanitation Districts.

Steve Maguin, head of solid waste management for the Sanitation Districts, said the districts are well aware that Santa Clarita has not endorsed the Elsmere dump and that the flyer probably resulted from a misunderstanding.

Weitzman said the California Disposal Assn. is a trade group composed of about 35 companies in the county and is affiliated with the statewide California Refuse Removal Council. The association plans to send out monthly flyers to keep local leaders aware of plans for landfills, Weitzman said.

The Santa Clarita City Council, meanwhile, has scheduled a public forum to discuss the city’s options concerning the dump. The forum will be held Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hart High School auditorium.