Frantz Law Group Files Lawsuits on Behalf of Residents Sickened by Chiquita Canyon Landfill and Sunshine Canyon Landfill
Residents contend that persistent hydrogen sulfide and noxious fumes are causing significant medical injuries including headaches, bloody noses, and nausea
SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frantz Law Group filed two lawsuits in California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles against (1) Chiquita Canyon, LLC, Chiquita Canyon, Inc., Waste Connections of California, and Waste Connections US, Inc., and (2) Browning-Ferris Industries of California, the operators of Sunshine Canyon Landfill, on behalf of the residents of surrounding communities alleging the emission of hydrogen sulfide and other hazardous and noxious fumes have caused sicknesses. The lawsuits allege that negligence by Chiquita Canyon/Waste Connections and Browning-Ferris Industries in their operation of the landfills has exposed neighboring homes and communities to toxic and odorous fumes emanating from the facilities.
"We allege that our clients have suffered significant harm due to the inability of Chiquita Canyon/Waste Connections and Browning-Ferris Industries to operate their landfills safely," said James P. Frantz, CEO of Frantz Law Group. "We contend that to avoid the serious health risks posed by the landfills, residents in the surrounding communities have been forced to shelter indoors due to the negligence of the landfills' operators. The landfills have been the subject of several thousand documented complaints to the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). In both cases, we contend that the misconduct amounts to conscious disregard of public safety."
SCAQMD inspections of the Chiquita Canyon landfill starting in late 2023 revealed elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, and levels of hydrogen sulfide that exceeded California air quality standards approximately 35 percent of the time. More alarmingly, the leachate emanating from deep in the landfill and shooting into the air (similar to a geyser) forms stench-laden ponds on the surface of the landfill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared the Chiquita Canyon landfill an "imminent and substantial" danger to nearby communities.
Regarding Sunshine Canyon, the plaintiffs contend that heavy rainfall in 2022 and 2023 combined with improper drainage of garbage creates a breeding ground for methane and hydrogen sulfide producing bacteria that discharge in the direct vicinity of residential neighborhoods and Van Gogh Charter School.
"On behalf of our clients, we contend that their health and the community schools, parks, and neighborhoods have been severely compromised by these landfills. We intend to hold the operators of Chiquita Canyon and Sunshine Canyon fully accountable for the damages we contend they caused to the community," said Frantz.
About Frantz Law Group
Frantz Law Group is an award-winning personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, trucking litigation, mass torts, and class action law firm that has been serving clients for over 45 years. The firm has secured over 40 multimillion-dollar individual settlements and jury verdicts and has coordinated with other law firms in obtaining several multibillion-dollar settlements that benefit thousands of victims.
Frantz Law Group has been ranked Tier 1 in U.S. News ? Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" from 2010-2023 for mass tort litigation/class actions - plaintiffs. James P. Frantz is a fellow and associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, is a 20-year Special Master appointed by the State Bar of California, and a 20-year Master of The Enright Chapter, American Inns of Court. For more information, please visit www.frantzlawgroup.com.
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