Panel Advises Keeping Lopez Landfill Open

A city panel Monday recommended extending the life of the controversial Lopez Canyon Landfill for one year but kept open the option of operating the dump into the next century.

The decision angered Councilman Richard Alarcon--a staunch opponent of the dump, who blasted the decision of the City Council’s Environmental Quality and Waste Management Committee.

“They went around my back to discuss something that wasn’t on their agenda,” Alarcon said. “I will be discussing that with Councilman Braude.”

Braude is the chairman of the environmental committee; he and Councilwoman Ruth Galanter were the only members of the committee who attended Monday’s hearing.

The committee voted to extend the term of the landfill for one year, and if environmental studies show that keeping it open for even longer will not have unacceptable environmental effects, to possibly extend the dump’s life for as long as five years beyond February, 1996, when it is scheduled to close, according to Braude.

Braude said he was concerned by estimates that closing the dump and sending the trash elsewhere would cost the city more than $50 million.

“I felt that the city should not close off its options at this time,” Braude said.

Jeffrey Prang, spokesman for Galanter, sounded a similar note when explaining the councilwoman’s vote.

“I think she felt that Option 3 provided the council with the most options for discussion at this point,” he said. “She has not made up her mind as to what her vote in council will be. There are still a lot of issues that have to be discussed.”

The City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee will take up the issue today, and it is scheduled to be reviewed by the full council Friday.

Alarcon, however, maintained that it appeared from the committee’s published agenda that the panel would only be discussing various recycling programs at the 400-acre landfill in Lake View Terrace. He said his office has contacted the city attorney’s office to see whether the committee violated the Brown Act, the state open meeting law.