Community Notice

October 28, 2024

Exceedance of the one-hour Reference Exposure Level for Benzene

Air quality monitors operated by the Chiquita Canyon Landfill detected concentrations of a chemical called “benzene” that exceeded the acute one-hour Reference Exposure Level (REL) of 8 parts per billion (ppb) at two offsite monitoring locations near the landfill (offsite monitors MS-06 and MS-07). The highest level detected during this incident was 14.9 ppb. The exceedance occurred during the4:00 AM hour and lasted only a single hour.

The exceedance coincided with unplanned flare downtime at Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Flares burn combustible components in the landfill gas collected by the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, often with greater than 98% effectiveness. However, the flares were not operating as intended at the time of this incident. Without the flares operating properly, landfill gases were emitted directly into the air.

More information on benzene, RELs, and flares can be found here: https://www.cclresponse.com/faq.

Air pollutant data collected by Chiquita Canyon Landfill’s on- and off-site air monitors can be found here: https://www.cclresponse.com/air-monitoring.

To receive alerts when concentrations of air pollutants exceed an acute REL please visit: https://chiquitacanyon.com/chiquita-air-monitoring-notification-system/.

August 5, 2024

Landfill Project

The Response Multi-Agency Coordination Group (R-MAC) wishes to inform community members that the operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic, California will begin a project on Thursday, August 8, 2024, to control and mitigate leachate seepage on the landfill’s west slope.

It’s possible this new project might result in a temporary increase in odors, though the landfill operators will take proactive measures to minimize that risk by applying odor suppressant foam, working in short sections, and replacing the cover when not working. The R-MAC will closely monitor the work being performed and track community air monitoring systems and complaint logs for any changes. Officials are hopeful these mitigation measures will prevent any increases in odors.

The project involves the removal of a plastic cover called a scrim currently covering the west slope, installation of a drain and sumps to better control the leachate, followed by the installation of a permanent geomembrane cover. The project is expected to last 6-8 weeks. Once the project is complete, the entire reaction area of the landfill will have been capped, which is expected to result in a significant reduction of overall gas emissions from the landfill. In addition, the project is expected to improve the stability of the west slope.

While this work is being conducted, the landfill operators have established a “Cool Zone” at the Embassy Suites hotel located off Newhall Ranch Road and I-5. Click HERE for more details. Questions about the project, call Chiquita Canyon Landfill at (661) 253-5155 or email info@chiquitacanyon.com.

As a reminder, to report an odor complaint, please contact the South Coast Air Quality Management District at (800) 288-7664 or visit the online complaint system.

‍To report a health concern, please contact the L.A. County Department of Public Health at (626) 430-9821 or tox@ph.lacounty.gov.

July 31, 2024

Upcoming Landfill Project

The Response Multi-Agency Coordination Group (R-MAC) wishes to inform community members that the operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic, California are tentatively scheduled to begin a project on Monday, August 5, 2024, to control and mitigate leachate seepage on the landfill’s west slope.

It’s possible this new project might result in a temporary increase in odors, though the landfill operators will take proactive measures to minimize that risk by applying odor suppressant foam, working in short sections, and replacing the cover when not working. The R-MAC will closely monitor the work being performed and track community air monitoring systems and complaint logs for any changes. Officials are hopeful these mitigation measures will prevent any increases in odors.

The project involves the removal of a plastic cover called a scrim currently covering the west slope, installation of a drain and sumps to better control the leachate, followed by the installation of a permanent geomembrane cover. Once the project is complete, the entire reaction area of the landfill will have been capped, which is expected to result in a significant reduction of overall gas emissions from the landfill. In addition, the project is expected to improve the stability of the west slope.

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