More Dumps Not the Answer

There is an unfortunate but common thread connecting two seemingly unrelated news articles that recently appeared. First it was announced that Los Angeles city was trying to figure out how to “sell” high-density housing. It was also announced that Los Angeles city has changed the zoning in the Santa Monica Mountains so that the chances of Rustic, Sullivan and Mission canyons becoming a landfill were very remote. Both plans are fine on the surface but beneath the surface I believe that both plans are relying on Elsmere Canyon to be the next mega-dump for the city of Los Angeles.

Proposing to put a landfill in Elsmere Canyon is insane for many sound reasons, not the least of which is that it sits directly on top of the aquifer of my city--the city of Santa Clarita. Trust me, our health is important to us. We don’t want the garbage of the city of Los Angeles ruining our water and we don’t want 2,500 garbage trucks a day ruining our air.

I would feel that I had a good neighbor to the south of me if Los Angeles got really serious about recycling and really serious about waste by rail plans. Until then, planning to add more people with no sensible plans for their garbage is offensive to me.

KAREN PEARSON-HALL

Santa Clarita

Pearson-Hall is vice president, Santa Clarita Valley Canyons Preservation Committee .