SIMI VALLEY : Dump’s Sunday Closure Opposed

The Simi Valley City Council has decided to oppose a request by the operator of the Simi Valley Landfill to close the dump on Sundays, saying it would lead to illegal dumping in the city.

The council voted Monday to write to the Ventura County Resource Management Agency, which oversees operation of the landfill, with its recommendation against Sunday closure. The Simi Valley Landfill is located on county property at the western end of the city.

Mayor Greg Stratton said the landfill was closed on Sundays several years ago and that it resulted in residents dumping their trash throughout the city.

“My feeling is that we have tried this before and it caused a tremendous amount of problems,” he said. “I just feel the service has to be available, especially in our city.”

Waste Management of North America, the operator of the landfill, requested permission from the county last month to close the dump on Sundays beginning June 30.

The operator said the amount of business generated by the landfill on Sunday does not justify the $2,600 it costs to keep it open.

The landfill is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Paul Spencer, general manager of the landfill, told the council that the landfill receives about 925 tons of trash every weekday. But he said that figure falls to about 225 tons on Saturday and between 55 and 110 tons on Sunday.

Spencer said he understood the council’s concern over illegal dumping, but such activity occurs even with the landfill open on Sunday.

Ventura County officials said they will wait until they receive information from other cities that use the landfill, such as Moorpark and Thousand Oaks, before they make a decision on Waste Management’s request.