Toxic Dump Site Battle - 1985-1987

In a 1985 report, called "The Southern California Hazardous Waste Management Project", prepared for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Potrero Canyon oil field was one of three possible sites for a hazardous waste dump in Los Angeles County. Twenty other sites were also listed outside of the county. Results of the report was first reported in the September 9th, 1985, issue of the Newhall Signal newspaper. The report was authorized by the Board in December of last year. Eight other counties also participated. By federal regulations, hazardous waste, which is byproducts from hazardous waste treatment plants, would have to be treated and solidifed before it could be buried in the ground. This is not the same as a sanitary landfill, like the one planned for Elsmere Canyon and, after much fighting, never approved. Yearly, the county generated 561,000 tons of hazardous which had to be trucked to dumps over 100 miles away.

Further geological studies of Potrero Canyon needed to be done, but the property owner, Newhall Land & Farming Company, did not intend to sell or allow the canyon to be a dump. They would not allow testing to be done. They had other plans - the Newhall Ranch housing project.

The county tried further negotiations and threatened to use their eminent domain power. In December of 1985, the Board decided to seek court orders to force Newhall Land & Farming to allow tests in Potrero Canyon. In February of 1986, Newhall Land & Farming was ordered to allow county geologists in the canyon.

---

However, the company kept up the legal battle until June, when it was reported that the county geologists would be allowed in the canyon. The president of Newhall Land, Thomas Lee, said that he was confident that the tests would show that the canyon is not suitable for the dump. When the actual tests were done is not reported.

---

Not until June of 1987 was it finally reported that Potrero Canyon was dropped from consideration as a hazardous waste site. The tests done the previous year showed that the canyon was geologically unsuitable for that purpose.