Landfill Expansion Stirs Concern

A long-planned expansion of the county’s Spadra Landfill in Pomona has some residents in neighboring Walnut wondering what the future holds for their air, water and property values.

John Fang, a physics professor at Cal Poly Pomona who lives in Walnut near the dump site, last week presented the Walnut City Council with a 430-signature petition protesting the expansion.

He was joined at the council meeting by about 20 residents who echoed his concerns about possible water contamination, dust pollution and traffic congestion caused by the landfill.

“This dump is right in our back yard,” said Delmar Walters, who added that he didn’t know about plans for the expansion until recently. “I noticed all the digging and grading going on, but I didn’t know it was a dump.”

The 187-acre landfill is to be expanded by 70 acres, which will be filled with nontoxic refuse starting next spring.

The expansion area is located about 200 yards east of the Mt. San Antonio College football stadium.

Councilman Drexel Smith said much of the anxiety over the expansion is being caused by the “tremendous misinformation” being spread among neighbors. He assured residents that plans for the landfill expansion underwent rigid environmental scrutiny before they were approved by Los Angeles County in 1985.

Steve Maguin, head of the county’s Solid Waste Management Department, said fears of water and air contamination are unwarranted. Maguin said the landfill has extensive monitoring systems in place to ensure public safety.

Mayor Bert Ashley said the county, seeking to assuage public concerns about the landfill, plans to offer two-hour tours of the Spadra facility today, Friday and Saturday. In addition, a community meeting on the landfill expansion will be held in Walnut City Hall’s Community Center at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

Also, the council has directed City Atty. Scott Nichols to review options in trying to halt the dumping if it is determined it poses environmental problems for nearby neighborhoods.