Chiquita Canyon Landfill closes active waste disposal operations

Chiquita Canyon Landfill, a Southern California landfill operated by The Woodlands, Texas-based Waste Connections Inc., has closed its waste disposal operations.

In a letter sent via email Dec. 31, Chiquita Canyon District Manager Steve Cassulo announced the closure, effective Jan. 1.

“Chiquita had wished to maintain its crucial role in the community’s solid waste management system but has made the difficult decision to close its active waste disposal operations,” the letter reads. “Although Chiquita has available airspace, due to the current regulatory environment, maintaining ongoing operations at Chiquita is no longer economically viable.”

Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against landfill operators in December, but Chiquita has faced previous regulatory and legal action stemming from odor complaints and an elevated temperature landfill (ETLF) reaction at a portion of the site.

“Chiquita Canyon LLC will continue to manage the landfill, including addressing the elevated temperature landfill event that is affecting the northwest corner of the landfill, as well as closure and postclosure activities,” Chiquita Canyon LLC says on its website. “While active waste disposal operations will close, we remain committed to working with federal, state and local regulators on the ongoing reaction mitigation efforts.”

Operators at the landfill reached an agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) in January 2024, which allowed the landfill to continue to operate, but required Waste Connections to reveal the source of pollutants and allow monitoring.

In June 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a violation notice to Chiquita Canyon regarding New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. EPA claimed conditions at the landfill over the last two years had raised concerns about operators’ ability to manage leachate and emissions.

The landfill was issued an Order of Abatement by South Coast AQMD in August 2024, which included 24 conditions for operators to take to reduce odors at the site.

Kathryn Barger, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, has introduced a motion requesting that county officials report back in writing in 21 days with an analysis of the impacts the Chiquita Canyon Landfill closure will have on solid waste management in Los Angeles County. Barger’s motion also instructs county officials to report back in writing in 30 days with a proposal to implement necessary regulations to address “potential price gouging and anticompetitive practices for solid waste disposal” in the county.

“The impending closure of Chiquita Canyon represents a critical juncture in the region’s environmental, economic and social landscape,” Barger says. “Its closure could profoundly alter waste management policies, disposal of solid waste in the county and potential impacts to customers and rate payers whose waste was previously taken to Chiquita Canyon.”

Chiquita Canyon will host a Jan. 9 community information meeting to discuss updates and odor mitigation efforts at the landfill.