Santa Clarita, CA — A group of Santa Clarita Valley residents have initiated a mass tort lawsuit due to prolonged exposure to unpleasant odors emanating from the nearby Chiquita Canyon Landfill. Represented by attorneys from Kiesel Law and Keosian Law, the plaintiffs claim the landfill’s activities have detrimentally impacted their health and quality of life.
John Suggs, a resident of Val Verde, is among the nearly 100 individuals named in the lawsuit. He describes his home as a prison, lamenting about the adverse effects on his family’s health, including that of his 10-year-old child who is reluctant to play outside, and his elderly grandmother whose health has sharply declined.
The legal action highlights numerous health complaints attributed to the landfill, including persistent congestion, coughs, body aches, as well as burning sensations in the eyes and ears. According to attorney Paul Kiesel, the families have endured significant suffering due to toxin exposure. His colleague, Harout Keosian, emphasized the extensive nature of the grievances documented in the lawsuit.
In January, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an order to the landfill managers to rectify several issues. Among these were the management of leachate, a pollutant liquid that has been found bubbling and even ejecting from the site, contributing to the pervasive stench.
Additionally, air quality data from Chiquita Canyon showed a significant breach of state environmental standards, with approximately 35% of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) readings in the past year exceeding California’s limit of 30 parts per billion, averaged over one hour. This has raised alarms about the potential long-term effects on air quality and public health.
Local residents like Joe Gomez, who moved to Santa Clarita in the 1980s for its then-clean air, now suffers from chronic respiratory problems worsened by the landfill’s emissions. Both he and his wife, an avid marathon runner, find the malodorous air follows them even as they train in the local canyons.
The situation has escalated to a point where some community members fear it could drive people away, threatening the area’s desirability as a place to live and raise families. Suggs himself pointed out that the community has increasingly resembled a “ghost town.”
As the Chiquita Canyon Landfill has not yet responded to the allegations, more claims for damages are anticipated. The unfolding legal battle underscores a growing concern for environmental health and safety regulations, and their enforcement in populated areas adjacent to industrial sites.
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