Chiquita Canyon landfill excavation brings new odor complaints near Santa Clarita
Excavation into waste at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic is underway as part of a federally overseen slope-stabilization project, and residents in Val Verde and Castaic are reporting stronger odors and physical symptoms.
The complaints were documented in a July 28, 2026 opinion article by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that quoted Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo and residents describing bloody noses, headaches, nausea, eye irritation and breathing problems. Those are reported experiences, not independent medical findings, and the available information does not establish that excavation caused the symptoms.
Why the excavation is happening
The 639-acre landfill has experienced a subsurface elevated-temperature event since about May 2022. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the event has led to increases in leachate, air emissions and odors.
Under additional work directed by the EPA in March 2026, Chiquita Canyon LLC is building a soil buttress along the western slope of the reaction area. The project is intended to stabilize bulging ground and reduce the potential for waste to slide or seep.
The EPA’s current project page says construction is expected to continue through Sept. 15, 2026. That date is a project target, not a guaranteed deadline. Excavation into waste is scheduled from late July through mid-August.
Protections required during the work
The EPA’s July 2026 fact sheet says West Toe Improvement Project work is limited to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding legal holidays. Saturday work is limited to non-excavation activity.
To limit exposed material, crews are required to work in sections of about 3,000 square feet. Active excavation areas and excavated material must be watered and maintained in a moist condition. When work pauses or the workday ends, exposed waste or material must be covered with at least six inches of clean soil, typically within 30 minutes.
Emissions must be monitored at the excavation area and the downwind property line. Work must stop if unsafe air-pollutant levels, high winds or slope instability are detected. The project also requires monitoring for waste movement, bulging, seepage and other signs of possible slope movement.
Planned excavation into waste is supposed to receive at least 48 hours’ public notice, with written notices sent to addresses within about two miles of the excavation area. Whether those notices and controls are reaching residents consistently is a central accountability question as the work continues.
Cool zone and monitoring information
The EPA fact sheet lists a temporary Santa Clarita cool zone for residents of Val Verde and Castaic at Embassy Suites, 28508 Westinghouse Palace. The listed schedule is Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with expected availability from July 20 through Aug. 14, 2026. The EPA says some community-protection measures may change with its approval, so residents should check current agency information before relying on the schedule.
The Chiquita Canyon Landfill Response website, an operator-affiliated response site, says the monitoring network measures benzene, other volatile organic compounds and sulfur-containing compounds at locations around the landfill and in nearby communities. The site says benzene is measured continuously at community stations in Val Verde and Castaic and that data and alerts are available online.
The response site’s FAQ says current monitoring has not identified significant health risks to date, while also acknowledging persistent community health complaints and uncertainty about possible effects from low-level odorous chemicals. It says odors can produce physical symptoms without proving a specific chemical exposure or long-term health effect. Those statements are from the response network and should not be treated as an independent medical assessment.
The same FAQ cautions that low-cost consumer sensors for VOCs and air toxics have significant limitations and should not be treated as equivalent to regulatory or specialized monitoring.
Where residents can report concerns
Residents experiencing symptoms should contact a health-care provider. The Chiquita Canyon response site directs health complaints to Los Angeles County Public Health at (626) 430-9821 or tox@ph.lacounty.gov. Odor complaints can be reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District at (800) 288-7664 or through its online complaint system.
For residents near the landfill, the practical test during the excavation window is whether required watering, soil covering, monitoring, stop-work rules and advance notifications operate as required while construction is active.
Sources
- EPA Fact Sheet: Recent Efforts at Chiquita Canyon Landfill
- Pilar Schiavo | Another Crisis at Chiquita Canyon Landfill
- Chiquita Canyon Landfill Response FAQ
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