City Urged to Look at Dump Alternatives

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon requested Friday that the city suspend efforts to extend the life of the Lopez Canyon Landfill near Lake View Terrace until other waste disposal options have been studied.

Alarcon, who has been an adamant opponent of the landfill in his district, has already instructed Public Works officials to explore other alternatives to extending the dump’s operating permit after it expires in 1996.

A Bureau of Sanitation report released in March suggested that by renewing the permit to keep the city-owned dump open until the year 2000, the city can save $72 million over the cost of hauling city waste to other local dumps.

But Alarcon and neighbors of the dump were angered by the report, saying that the city needs to investigate other alternatives. One option, Alarcon has suggested, could be to haul city waste by rail to a remote landfill in Utah.

“Pursuing an extension before all options are exhausted is a sham,” Alarcon said. “It is deceiving and it is a clear indication that the city is attempting to go back on their promise to the community.”

Alarcon’s proposal will likely be considered by the City Council next week.

On Monday, the council’s Public Works Committee held a meeting in Lake View Terrace that attracted about 150 residents to hear about closure plans for the landfill. Most said they did not want the landfill to remain open after 1996.