A California landfill is releasing gases so toxic it’s giving the residents nearby cancer – and many are questioning why Gov. Newsom has not addressed the issue
According to residents nearby, toxic liquid can be seen “bubbling, boiling, and erupting in geysers up to 18 feet high”
“There have been reports of headaches, nausea, and a cluster of new cancer cases.”
According to public health experts, the situation at Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic, is a serious environmental and public health crisis.
The landfill is a 639-acre facility operated by Waste Connections. It has been experiencing a significant “subsurface chemical reaction” since May 2022.
The reaction, described as a “smoldering event” or “elevated temperature landfill” (ETLF), has caused the landfill to overheat, with temperatures spiking to more than 200°F – which is almost 40% higher than the EPA safety standards for landfills.
The reaction is now covering about 90 acres, affecting about 20% of the landfill.
The overheating has led to the release of toxic gases, including benzene, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as hazardous leachate (liquid waste).
These emissions have caused noxious odors and major health concerns for nearby communities.
People who live by the landfill, some as close as 900 feet, have reported a range of health issues including: Headaches, nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds, burning eyes, skin rashes, asthma, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, vomiting, and tremors.
In addition, Residents and local leaders have claimed that there is a “cancer cluster” in the area.
For example, on one street with 14 homes, seven people were reported to be battling cancer, with four new diagnoses in 2024 alone.
Benzene, a known carcinogen was detected in levels over 8 times the state health limit and is linked to leukemia and other blood disorders with long-term exposure.
However, the LA County Health Department said the short-term symptoms are just that, and the levels of toxic chemicals are about the same as those across LA County – saying there are no long-term health impacts or cancer risk from the landfill emissions.
The reaction has caused physical damage to the landfill, including sinkholes, deep cracks, and subsidence under a tank farm storing 20,000 gallons of hazardous leachate.
California is being accused of ignoring federal regulations including the Federal Clean Air Act, Oxygen Incursion, having state oversight failures with multiple violations and ignoring hundreds of violations for excessive emissions.
Many are now calling on the federal government to hold Gavin Newsom accountable.
