A Rational Choice or Huge Threat?

Seeking to increase the amount of trash dumped at its Sunshine Canyon Landfill, Browning Ferris Industries has asked the city Planning Commission to consider allowing the company to expand the landfill onto 494 adjacent acres in Granada Hills.

Opponents of the expansion claim that residential neighborhoods would be subjected to dust problems and water pollution, while those in favor of expansion claim it would help keep trash disposal costs down.

DIANE WEDNER asked three North Valley residents whether the expansion should be approved, and what alternative plan, if any, should be considered.

MARY EDWARDS / Retired Granada Hills social worker, member of the North Valley Coalition homeowners group

I am absolutely opposed to the expansion. The environmental impact report stated clearly that there would be a severe impact to the air quality, which can’t be mitigated. Also, the schoolchildren nearby would be adversely affected.

How much garbage can they pile above the residents’ homes? They’re already dumping in the county, and they can apply to expand there. It’s incredible that they’re running around like Chicken Little asking, ‘What can we do?’ The answer is, they can expand to 70,000 tons [of garbage disposal] in the county portion of the dump.

How can you put one of the biggest landfills in the U.S. right next to and above one of the largest water-treatment facilities in the U.S.? If there’s ever a cracking at the landfill, the water would be contaminated.

Proper planning would offer at least a two- or three-mile buffer around the landfill, rather than the 1,700 feet from homes, which the city portion of this expansion proposes.

There is a mile-long line of attorneys in their expensive suits and ties willing to fight for this landfill, and I’m just in my Birkenstocks. Although I’ve studied this issue for years, we don’t get the same degree of credibility. It’s unfair.

PATTI FRIEDMAN / Director of a San Fernando Valley Bar Assn. program and Granada Hills resident

I’m in between on this issue. The damage has already been done to the open area. It no longer is open for wildlife. I’m concerned now about the expansion and its impact, but I’m not totally opposed, either.

I respect [BFI’s] right to do this. I think they’re doing a superb job of following the laws, the best that they can do. But that doesn’t matter when it comes to the issue of its close proximity to homes. We don’t know what will happen health-wise in the future. Logic tells me that no one can truly predict if this is safe in the long-term.

I think the project needs to be scaled back. I would have the city issue a permit for an area far less expansive than the one this proposal calls for. My preference is to push it into the county; it’s farther from homes.

I sat on the city’s committee about this and have looked at the maps, and I also know about the politics involved. The dilemma is that as we push it into the county, there will be a huge battle from Santa Clarita. It would not come within miles of homes there, but I believe they don’t want it there. It will boil down to politics between the Board of Supervisors and the City Council, and I think the county will prevail.

GEORGE WEIN / Northridge architect serving on the Community Advisory Committee for the landfill

My concern about the expansion has to do with BFI’s capability to maintain quality water at Van Norman Reservoir. I’m looking at the potential of contaminated ground water. I’m also concerned with odor and dust.

So far, BFI has done a great job of monitoring the dump. Part of their program is to replace what was there and make it better. I took a tour and was impressed with what they’ve done to keep the area pristine.

The question is an emotional one that boils down to “not in my backyard.” I can understand that. But the dump has to be somewhere.

There’s still plenty of landfill room in the county right now, but the advantage of putting the expansion in the city is that it’s less expensive to create the site, and it’s more accessible than the county site.

I think the Planning Commission should evaluate the impact of both the county and city expansion plans. Maybe a third alternative is to find another site out of the area, maybe railroading the material to Arizona. They need to evaluate the economic and accessibility impact and make their decision based on that.