Sen. Boxer Opposes Proposed Landfill in Elsmere Canyon

Expressing concerns about setting a precedent by using national forest lands for dump sites, Sen. Barbara Boxer on Monday joined local government leaders’ opposition to a proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill.

Boxer (D-Calif.) is a member of the powerful Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, a position from where she could bring considerable pressure against the plan that has twice previously been denied by the U. S. Forest Service.

“While there may be some additional or different findings in the current Environmental Impact Statement, I consider any possibility that the area’s water supply would be contaminated to be an unacceptable risk,” Boxer wrote in a letter sent to Michael Rodger, Forest Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest.

A swap of U. S. Forest Service land has been proposed to bring a 190-million-ton dump to Elsmere Canyon--southeast of Santa Clarita near the intersection of San Fernando Road with the Antelope Valley Freeway. The project’s environmental impact report is expected to be released before the end of the year, possibly as soon as October.

Opponents, which include the city, say the dump will harm the underground water supply, damage air quality, ruin a pristine canyon and wildlife corridor and cause thousands of garbage trucks to travel through the valley.

“There also appears to be conflicting information regarding the landfill needs of Los Angeles County. The county should thoroughly substantiate its needs before any new landfill is considered, let alone a landfill in a site as pristine as Elsmere Canyon,” Boxer wrote.