California Attorney General Rob Bonta has initiated a civil enforcement action against the corporate owners of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Los Angeles County, alleging severe violations of state environmental safety codes and public nuisance statutes. The state complaint targets ongoing sub-surface chemical reactions that ignited an underground waste fire, producing persistent toxic chemical odors, sulfur compounds, and hazardous leachate discharges affecting thousands of residents in the neighboring Santa Clarita Valley.
The lawsuit accuses landfill operators of failing to implement adequate waste containment measures, maintain gas extraction systems, and prevent the overflow of contaminated wastewater into adjacent ecological drainage channels. State environmental regulators joined the enforcement action after area residents documented respiratory distress, headaches, and deteriorating air quality over several months. The state seeks substantial civil monetary penalties alongside a court order compelling the facility operators to execute comprehensive remedial containment plans, install advanced monitoring systems, and cover community environmental mitigation expenses.
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Sources:
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-sues-landfill-owner-over-underground-garbage-fire/