Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Key Group to Oppose New Dump : Elsmere Canyon: The Valencia Industrial Assn. joins two local chambers of commerce. It represents 250 businesses.

SANTA CLARITA —  Valencia’s primary business group has voted to oppose a landfill suggested for Elsmere Canyon, filling what opponents say was the missing local link in the fight against the dump.

The Valencia Industrial Assn. Wednesday announced its opposition to the 190-million ton landfill proposed by developer BKK Corp. southeast of Santa Clarita.

Association President Gary Johnson declined to specify the vote by the 14-member board, or even say if it was unanimous. The organization decided to take a stand on the issue rather than wait on environmental documents, the release of which have been delayed repeatedly, Johnson said.

“It’s a very crucial issue. It’s an issue that has to be addressed immediately, one way or the other,” Johnson said. He is unsure how active a role the association will now take in the dump issue.

The association represents 250 businesses. Anti-dump activists said the organization was the final Santa Clarita Valley group that they hoped would come out against the landfill proposal.

The decision echoes votes taken earlier this month by the Santa Clarita Valley and Canyon Country chambers of commerce. Neither of the decisions by the Santa Clarita Valley and Canyon Country chambers of commerce was unanimous.

Dump opponents say the business groups can help garner additional support from agencies outside of the Santa Clarita Valley.

“That’s really nice that we have all three of the big ones,” said Pat Saletore, an anti-dump activist. “I think our objective now is to take it on the road.”

Johnson said he was unsure if the votes taken by those groups had an impact upon the association, although he acknowledged that many members participate in each of them.