Nov. 25, 2014 – Daily Brief

By Josh Premako

Newhall Gets a New Neighbor: Our local radio station has finally officially announced a poorly-kept secret: They are moving to downtown Newhall in 2015, into the space once home to our beloved Newhall Hardware. Sharing the building with Total Financial Solutions, KHTS is also planning to include a coffee shop space as part of the remodel. KHTS
Saying Goodbye: Gladys Laney was a teenager when the St. Francis Dam disaster occurred. On Monday morning, the SCV Senior Center volunteer and historian passed away at 104. KHTS
Crime on the Rise: While recently released figures point to dropping crime in city limits, the unincorporated areas of SCV have seen an increase over the past year, particularly in burglaries. The Signal
The Season Begins: The SCV winter shelter opened on Monday, giving more than 20 people a meal and a warm, safe place to stay for the night. The Signal
Burglaries Appear Connected: Detectives have linked a 45-year-old Albuquerque woman arrested last week to three residential break-ins in Valencia. The Signal
Red Flags for the Holiday: It's a windy week, with a red flag being issued for our brittle, dry valley as winds whip through it. If you see smoke, report it. Daily News
New Super for Sulphur: The Sulphur Springs School District has named a new superintendent, a veteran teacher and administrator from Ventura County who helped roll out 17,000 iPads to students and staff. KHTS
Continuing to Ask Questions: "The documents exist – and have been sent to the Regional Planning Commission – to prove Chiquita Canyon Landfill accepted the type of material that is specifically prohibited for dumping there. The test well data that have been released show all manner of toxic chemicals being dumped there. Does this make a 'good neighbor?'" Darryl Manzer continues his crusade against seeing Chiquita Canyon Landfill expand ever more and do our valley a disservice. SCVNews

Comments (1)

Coastal SageTuesday, November 25th, 2014 at 12:30 pm

RE: Alleged Illegal dumping of toxic substances in Chiquita Canyon landfill Darryl Manzer says: "The documents exist – and have been sent to the Regional Planning Commission – to prove Chiquita Canyon Landfill accepted the type of material that is specifically prohibited for dumping there. The test well data that have been released show all manner of toxic chemicals being dumped there.” Sadly I have been hearing about Class I Hazardous Substances having been dumped at Chiquita Canyon since the late 1990's. However, it is all conjecture unless there is physical proof, such as would be found in the chemical leachate discovered in the soil and ground water at the toe of the landfill's slopes or in the near-surface ground water of surrounding properties. If the proof exists, I strongly suggest that Mr. Manzer and others opposing the dump expansion send the actual proof with an informative cover letter by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested to Jared Blumenthal, Director, Region 9, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105. Then, have every concerned citizen who lives near the dump and who is concerned start calling Mr. Blumenthal. Back in time, during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, the EPA responded very aggressively when an old illegal toxic dump was discovered on the western outskirts of Simi Valley. The people who "blew the whistle" were a Rocketdyne retiree and a geologist who literally did some "midnight drilling" on public road right-of-way to prove the allegations that toxic substances were leaking out of that dump and into the Arroyo Simi. That old dump had been owned by Ventura County, whose senior employees had a nod and a wink relationship with Rocketdyne's management when it was an independent company. When the dump was 'full' Ventura County graciously gave ownership of it to the Rancho Simi Park District and the City of Simi Valley, who didn't realize that an toxic hot potato was being off-loaded on them. During the Reagan Presidency, the EPA forced the owner of the dump at the time the illegal toxic dumping occurred (Ventura County) and the then owner of the toxic dump (the city and the park district) to pay to construction remediation structures to keep toxic leachate from flowing out of the dump onto other people's property. Because the then-city manage of Simi Valley had been one of the County employees who allowed the midnight toxic dumping to occur, the matter was handled very quietly by the county, city and park district. However, EPA did protect the public health. So again, the solution to any problem of this nature at the Chiquita Landfill does not lie with Supervisor Antonovich directly, though the County could certainly refuse to allow expansion of the dump until any toxic leachate problem was solved. Again, people from that community need to present their evidence to EPA Region 9 and aggressively demand that EPA take action on the problem, assuming that it exists.

Coastal SageTuesday, November 25th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
RE: Alleged Illegal dumping of toxic substances in Chiquita Canyon landfill Darryl Manzer says: "The documents exist – and have been sent to the Regional Planning Commission – to prove Chiquita Canyon Landfill accepted the type of material that is specifically prohibited for dumping there. The test well data that have been released show all manner of toxic chemicals being dumped there.” Sadly I have been hearing about Class I Hazardous Substances having been dumped at Chiquita Canyon since the late 1990's. However, it is all conjecture unless there is physical proof, such as would be found in the chemical leachate discovered in the soil and ground water at the toe of the landfill's slopes or in the near-surface ground water of surrounding properties. If the proof exists, I strongly suggest that Mr. Manzer and others opposing the dump expansion send the actual proof with an informative cover letter by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested to Jared Blumenthal, Director, Region 9, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105. Then, have every concerned citizen who lives near the dump and who is concerned start calling Mr. Blumenthal. Back in time, during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, the EPA responded very aggressively when an old illegal toxic dump was discovered on the western outskirts of Simi Valley. The people who "blew the whistle" were a Rocketdyne retiree and a geologist who literally did some "midnight drilling" on public road right-of-way to prove the allegations that toxic substances were leaking out of that dump and into the Arroyo Simi. That old dump had been owned by Ventura County, whose senior employees had a nod and a wink relationship with Rocketdyne's management when it was an independent company. When the dump was 'full' Ventura County graciously gave ownership of it to the Rancho Simi Park District and the City of Simi Valley, who didn't realize that an toxic hot potato was being off-loaded on them. During the Reagan Presidency, the EPA forced the owner of the dump at the time the illegal toxic dumping occurred (Ventura County) and the then owner of the toxic dump (the city and the park district) to pay to construction remediation structures to keep toxic leachate from flowing out of the dump onto other people's property. Because the then-city manage of Simi Valley had been one of the County employees who allowed the midnight toxic dumping to occur, the matter was handled very quietly by the county, city and park district. However, EPA did protect the public health. So again, the solution to any problem of this nature at the Chiquita Landfill does not lie with Supervisor Antonovich directly, though the County could certainly refuse to allow expansion of the dump until any toxic leachate problem was solved. Again, people from that community need to present their evidence to EPA Region 9 and aggressively demand that EPA take action on the problem, assuming that it exists.