Press Release: CalEPA announces order holding Chiquita Canyon Landfill operators accountable for environmental crisis

Department of Toxic Substances Control issues new violations

April 1, 2025

Media Contact:
Nefretiri Cooley, nefretiri.cooley@calepa.ca.gov, 916.634.8428

SACRAMENTO — The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) today announced significant actions by two of its departments to continue holding Chiquita Canyon Landfill operators accountable for containing the facility’s subsurface elevated temperature event (reaction) and for minimizing potential release of hazardous liquids (leachate) from the landfill.

“CalEPA remains committed to applying whole-of-government solutions to this urgent environmental and public health crisis,” said California Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia. “Backed by sound science, we will continue to deploy all the regulatory tools at our collective disposal to hold the landfill accountable for stabilizing this untenable situation and better protecting the surrounding communities.”

On March 28, CalRecycle issued an expert analysis using new information provided by the landfill at the end of February. Contrary to recent public statements that the landfill operators have made while announcing termination of their Community Relief Program, the data show that the reaction is not under control. In fact, it has expanded to 90 acres—over three times larger than the 28-acre reaction area claimed by the landfill. The reaction now threatens a “tank farm,” a collection of tanks atop the waste mass where the facility treats and stores millions of gallons of leachate at the eastern edge of the landfill’s main canyon.

“Our latest analysis is clear: the landfill must take additional, urgent action to protect Val Verde, Castaic and other impacted communities,” said CalRecycle Chief Deputy Director Mindy McIntyre. 

Building on CalRecycle’s action, the Department of Toxic Substances Control today issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order to Chiquita Canyon Landfill, LLC and its affiliated and parent companies: Chiquita Canyon, Inc. and Waste Connections US, Inc. (collectively, “the landfill”). The order outlines that these entities’ actions have created an imminent and substantial danger of a release of hazardous leachate that could harm public health and the environment. It requires the landfill to relocate the tank farm, expand the geosynthetic cover to encompass the entire main canyon waste mass, install a vertical reaction barrier at the southern portion of the landfill, and conduct additional monitoring, maintenance, and reporting activities to manage the reaction. DTSC also issued new violations against the landfill for failing to minimize the possibility of a release of hazardous waste, requiring the landfill to take prompt corrective measures or face penalties of up to $70,000 per day.

“Enough is enough,” said DTSC Director Katie Butler.  “For too long, residents in Val Verde and Castaic have suffered as this environmental crisis worsens. And the landfill’s strategy is not working. This order requires tangible actions to contain the reaction and reduce impacts. DTSC will enforce it to the fullest extent the law allows.”

The state’s recent enforcement actions support and complement the Local Enforcement Agency’s (LEA’s) ongoing implementation of its 2024 Compliance Order. Today, the LEA rejected the landfill’s proposal for containing the reaction submitted for that order, deeming it inadequate. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health acts as the LEA to enforce state solid waste law in Los Angeles County, with oversight from CalRecycle.

Background:  Since early 2022, the Chiquita Canyon Landfill has been experiencing a subsurface elevated temperature event in its northwest portion, which has since grown in size and impact. This reaction is causing several issues for nearby residents, including noxious odors emanating offsite, which have generated more than 27,000 complaints to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).  The reaction also is producing excess quantities of liquids in the waste – called leachate – that must be pumped out of the reaction area. This hazardous leachate has been found to contain benzene, a dangerous chemical that can harm public health and the environment.

In November 2023, local, state and federal agencies formed a Multi-Agency Critical Action Team (MCAT), led by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), to coordinate investigations and enforcement efforts and to ensure compliance with laws protecting public health and the environment. This expansive coordination has resulted in several additional important action orders, including an order for abatement issued by the SCAQMD Hearing Board to address odor issues and a Unilateral Administrative Order issued by US EPA.  For a list of the involved agencies and a timeline of enforcement actions to date, visit: https://calepa.ca.gov/chiquita-canyon-response/.

The mission of CalEPA is to restore, protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality. We fulfill our mission by developing, implementing and enforcing environmental laws that regulate air, water and soil quality, pesticide use and waste recycling and reduction. Our departments are at the forefront of environmental science, using the most recent research to shape the state’s environmental laws.