California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against Waste Connections and other operators of Chiquita Canyon Landfill, alleging persistent violations of hazardous waste laws. The 639-acre landfill in the Santa Clarita Valley stopped accepting waste on January 1, 2025, after failing to obtain a permit.
A subsurface elevated temperature event that began in May 2022 has caused the rapid breakdown of waste materials and generated millions of gallons of leachate contaminated with benzene and other dangerous chemicals. The affected area expanded from 20 acres to at least 90 acres, with subsurface temperatures reaching as high as 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
In November 2025, the landfill spilled 8,000 gallons of hazardous leachate into an unauthorized storage basin. Increased rainfall in December caused stormwater mixed with leachate to overflow into Castaic Creek, which flows into the Santa Clara River.
The lawsuit, filed with the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, alleges violations of California's Hazardous Waste Control Law and seeks civil penalties, disgorgement, and an abatement fund to address environmental pollution. It follows enforcement actions by Los Angeles County and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Several residential communities are located near the facility, with the nearest—Val Verde—approximately 1,000 feet away. Schools near the landfill include two preschools, four elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. A Multi-Agency Critical Action Team formed in November 2023 to coordinate efforts to address the contamination.