The smoldering, stinking mess at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic is a glaring example of the environmental and public health hazards created by burying our trash — and how state and local leaders have allowed this problem to pile up. Nearly two decades ago, the city of Los Angeles adopted a visionary plan to divert 90% of the city’s …
As landfill operators struggle to extinguish a damaging fire deep within Chiquita Canyon Landfill, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is taking the lead in efforts to contain the problem. Steve Cassulo, Chiquita Canyon’s district manager, said the landfill doesn’t believe installing a 2,000-foot-long fire break or barrier is necessary or feasible. Between 2011 and 2016, the …
