For those of you who have been experiencing odors from the Sunshine Canyon Landfill over this past year and who have been expressing a lot of frustration as to why it has taken so long to correct this situation, this letter is for you.
As a result of the complaints there were a series of seven hearings held in Granada Hills, Van Nuys, and Diamond Bar by the South Coast Air Quality Management District Hearing Board. After Republic/BFI made some operational changes and promised to conduct studies by their consultants as how to prevent odors in the future, the Hearing Board subsequently allowed them to continue operations using tarps instead of daily cover soil and to continue the practice of grading off dirt from the working face that had been placed over the trash on the weekend.
While the odors have lessened somewhat, due in part to some of these operational changes, the fact is that the Van Gogh School (one of the most impacted areas) was out for summer vacation, and the change in atmospherics (night drainage, prevailing winds) at this time of year was most probably the largest contributing factor to the decline.
However, we are suppose to be protected by the State, the County and the City of Los Angeles from any nuisance caused by this landfill. Because this situation has gone on far too long and because complaints continue, it is the County Task Force that has finally taken up this issue with the County Department of Public Works resulting in this letter to stop the aforementioned tarp and dirt removal practices . These two changes will result in improved odor control and potentially eliminate odors completely.
