LA TIMES

“Uncontrolled chemical reactions fuel crises at L.A. County’s two largest landfills”

“Hundreds of feet underground, in a long-dormant portion of Chiquita Canyon landfill, tons of garbage have been smoldering for months due to an enigmatic chemical reaction.

Although operators of the Castaic landfill say there’s no full-blown fire, temperatures within the dump have climbed to more than 200 degrees, and area residents have complained of a burned garbage odor wafting through the neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, 12 miles to the southeast, Sunshine Canyon landfill has suffered water intrusion from torrential storms earlier this year. That seepage has fueled bacteria growth within the Sylmar landfill, giving rise to putrid odors that have nauseated students and staff at a local elementary school.

The highly unusual reactions at Los Angeles County’s two largest landfills have raised serious questions about the region’s long-standing approach to waste disposal and its aging dumps. These incidents have impaired pollution control systems, allowing toxic gases and polluted water to migrate into unwanted areas.

They have also triggered thousands of odor complaints, dozens of environmental penalties and renewed calls to shutter the landfills.

Both facilities remain operational and each continues to accept more than 7,000 tons of trash a day. However, many residents who live nearby fear the potential of even greater problems and say that government officials and landfill operators need to take the problems more seriously.

“If temperatures get to a certain point, there isn’t going to be much that can be done,” said Sarah Olaguez, a Val Verde resident whose family lives less than a mile from Chiquita Canyon. “I feel like we’re on the precipice right now. It’s a train wreck waiting to happen. It’s scary and I feel trapped.”

The scorching temperatures within Chiquita Canyon Landfill have caused pressure to build inside the 639-acre facility and forced contaminated water to burst onto the surface.

Analyses by CalRecycle, the state agency that oversees solid waste and recycling facilities, described the situation as a “heating/ smoldering” event that has expanded in all directions since the summer. By November, the reaction area had grown by 30 to 35 acres, according to the agency.

Already, the heat has melted or deformed the landfill’s gas collection system, which consists mostly of polyvinyl chloride well casings. The damage has hindered the facility’s efforts to collect toxic pollutants.

“When there are high temperatures in the landfill gas, that can melt or deform some of the landfill gas collection system components,” said Angela Shibata, senior air quality engineering manager with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. “You can imagine when you have very hot temperatures and you have plastic materials as conveyance mechanisms for extracting and vacuuming out that gas, that can cause all kinds of issues.”

Abnormally pungent odors began drifting into neighboring communities last spring and intensified over the summer. In Val Verde, an unincorporated community of around 3,000 residents, some say they have suffered headaches, dizzy spells and difficulty breathing.

“The odors were so bad that my wife and I were getting sick inside our house — with the doors and windows closed,” said Steven Howse, a longtime Val Verde resident. “My kids can’t go outside, and my son loves to go and jump on the trampoline or ride his bike. But he’ll come in saying, ‘Oh, my stomach hurts, Dad. I don’t feel good.’”

According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the odors are the result of a rare chemical reaction in a closed portion of the landfill that no longer receives trash.

The reaction may have started when oxygen entered the well system, which is designed to pump out landfill gases like methane.

“Think about if you’ve ever lit a campfire and then tried to blow on it to get it going,” said Morton Barlaz, professor of civil engineering at North Carolina State University. “When you blow on it, you get more flame.”

The landfill recorded elevated oxygen levels in hundreds of its gas wells over the past two years, according to CalRecycle. As temperatures rose to near-boiling heights this year, carbon monoxide levels climbed to more than 1,000 parts per million, which CalRecycle considers positive indication of an active underground landfill fire.

CalRecyle declined to comment further on its report. Chiquita Canyon’s website, however, claims there is no subsurface fire.

Waste Connections, the landfill operator, is trying to slow and eventually stop the reaction by removing excess gases and liquid, according to Steve Cassulo, Chiquita Canyon’s district manager.

Work crews have drilled new gas wells and fitted them with steel pipes that can survive the heat. They’ve installed a new flare to burn off flammable landfill gases.

“Chiquita, along with its various regulatory oversight agencies, has been working cooperatively to rapidly address these issues,” Cassulo said in a statement. “Chiquita takes very seriously its role in the safe operation of the landfill.”

Still, county officials say the problem could persist for months.

As residents have stayed indoors more and run their air conditioners to filter out smells, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has tried to offer relief by setting aside funds to help with their electric bills. Around 900 households surrounding the landfill are eligible.

“The good news is, this is only happening at Chiquita,” Barger said. “The bad news is we’ve never seen anything like this, and if we don’t understand what triggered it, it could happen at other landfills that are dormant. So it’s important for us to get a handle on it.”

The situation has been a nightmare for Olaguez, who lives in Val Verde with her husband, Christian, and three children.

The couple bought their home in 2017, attracted to the mountain views, tranquility and small-town life.

At the time, they were told the landfill was nearing its capacity and was poised to close when it reached 23 million tons of waste, or by November 2019.

Instead, Los Angeles County granted the operator permission to expand and continue operations until it reaches a capacity of 60 million tons, or by 2037.

“I’ve told my husband, we’ll sell the house and live in a trailer if we have to. We’ll probably lose money, but at least won’t have to deal with this.” Olaguez said.