Pacoima : Vow to Clear Dump Cheers Neighbors

Vicky Navarro, 17, and her son dwell within one of the half-dozen homes that abut an abandoned property in Pacoima that is full of 54,000 stinking rubber tires, drums of hazardous waste, burned-out vehicles and a 40-foot trailer.

Navarro lives in the dump’s shadow--literally. Towers of tires, dumped illegally over the last few years on a lot at 12653 Osborne St., can be seen over the wall just behind her back yard.

But Navarro and her neighbors may soon find relief. The state Integrated Waste Management Board voted Tuesday to fund the site’s cleanup under a 2-year-old state law designed to remove abandoned or illegal dumps that threaten public health. The board set aside $150,000 for the project. Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) supported the legislation, and succeeded in getting the Osborne Street site placed on the list of cleanup projects.

“Any time you have a huge pile of tires like this one, you have potential for a toxic mess,” particularly if there’s a fire, said board member Wesley Chesbro. “We put a high priority on getting these things taken care of.” The cleanup will begin within 45 days, Chesbro said.

According to state documents, the property is owned by Connie Aguirre and the estate of James Monroe Bass. Aguirre reportedly resides outside the state and could not be reached for comment.

Chesbro said the state will try to recoup the cost of the cleanup by determining who was responsible for the illegal dumping and requiring them to reimburse the state. So far, those parties have not been identified.

Navarro and her neighbors will be glad when the tires and other trash goes. At night, Navarro hears transients sitting among the heaps of old Firestones and Goodyears, drinking and talking.

“We worried about them smoking and starting a fire,” she said. “We’ll be a lot more comfortable when it’s gone.”