Dump Plan Threatens Area Water

The proposed Sunshine Canyon landfill in Granada Hills is a potential threat to the water supplies that serve more than 4 million people in the Los Angeles area. That fact is being ignored by state water quality officials because they rely too heavily on self-serving information provided by the dump’s owner, Browning-Ferris Industries.

The problems with the Sunshine Canyon dump were detailed in a report prepared for the North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens in 1994 by Treadwell & Rollo Inc., an internationally respected engineering firm, and a team of landfill and earthquake experts. The report was commissioned by the coalition’s attorney and paid for through a contribution by another solid waste handling company, a subsidiary of WMX Technologies Inc.

In essence, the Treadwell & Rollo report shows that the design of the dump, as detailed in documents submitted to the state, would make it susceptible to failure in case of another earthquake like the 1994 temblor. In fact, based on new data, Sunshine Canyon could fail even without a major quake.

A failure at Sunshine Canyon could allow toxic liquid to contaminate ground and surface water near the dump site. That water flows directly downhill toward Jensen Filtration Plant and Van Norman Reservoir, where water from the Los Angeles and California aqueducts is treated and stored. In addition, a hydrologist retained by the coalition found that storm-water runoff from the dump site could overwhelm the improperly designed drainage system and contaminate an open channel carrying portions of Los Angeles’ water supply.

To put it in perspective, Sunshine CAnyon dump sits within a few miles of the epicenters of the 1994 Northridge quake and the 1971 Sylmar quake. It’s near the freeway overpass that collapsed in 1994. And during the 1994 quake, the entrance tunnel to the Jensen Filtration Plant, which is also close by, was seriously damaged.

Unfortunately, BFI has been able to cloud the issue by accusing taxpayers who live near the dump--and who have dared to organize in opposition--of “taking money” from a BFI competitor. In fact, nothing unethical or improper ever took place. WMX did not ask for or receive any assurance of the coalition’s support for the WMX projects. Neither did WMX ask for or have any input in the findings of the seismic reports. The coalition has always accepted help from any honest, reputable organization willing to help make the people’s case public.

The Treadwell & Rollo report has resulted in Sunshine Canyon’s being whittled down from 17 million tons of capacity to only 1.5 million tons--for Phase One. But keep in mind that Phase Two is proposed at 70 million tons. The problem doesn’t go away.

The North Valley Coalition believes that, at a minimum, the proposed dump should face a rigorous review in the form of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report. It’s not only a good idea--it’s the law.

We live in the bull’s-eye of earthquake country and we expect public officials to take all reasonable steps to protect our safety and the purity of our drinking water. Certainly a garbage dump that could affect up to 70% of the city’s drinking water supply deserves a low-risk approach not the rush to judgment that has brought us to this point.