Planners Vote to Limit Landfill’s Expansion

The Los Angeles County Planning Commission on Thursday sent its final recommendation on Sunshine Canyon Landfill expansion plans to the Board of Supervisors, which will make the final decisions in late November or December.

The commission voted 3 to 0 to allow dump owners, Browning-Ferris Industries, to expand the landfill capacity by 17 million tons, rather than the 70 million tons the company requested. The commission did not close the door on later expansions but recommended that additional capacity increases require a new round of county approvals.

Thursday’s vote finalized a tentative commission decision that was made on Sept. 27.

In addition to the reduced dumping capacity, the commission approved the removal of about 4,000 oak trees in the canyon, which would be eliminated from county maps as an ecologically sensitive area.

Dump opponents are expected to appeal the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors and ask members to deny Browning-Ferris any permit to expand. BFI officials will ask the board to grant them the full-expansion permit.

County planners said the board will further review the proposal and hear more testimony from opposing sides before their final vote.