Calabasas Landfill

After meeting with federal and local officials this week, some residents said they still would like to see independent environmental monitoring of the Calabasas Landfill. Representatives from the National Park Service and several environmental agencies met with residents at a Tuesday meeting arranged by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) in response to community concerns.

After meeting with officials from the National Park Service and several environmental agencies, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) said the key to ensuring the safety of the Calabasas Landfill was careful monitoring.

The National Park Service released its final environmental assessment of the Calabasas Landfill on Friday, determining that the 505-acre dump that accepted hazardous wastes until 1980 has no significant impact on the environment. The agency plans to issue a permit within 30 days that will allow the landfill to continue operating within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said Scott Erickson, the recreation area's deputy superintendent.

A laborer who died after he was struck by a vehicle at the Calabasas Landfill was identified Tuesday as Jose Luevano, 23, of Sun Valley. Luevano, whose name had been withheld pending notification of relatives, walked into the path of a tire-loading tractor at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said. The vehicle knocked him down and ran into him, authorities said. He was airlifted to Westlake Medical Center, where he died about 10 a.m., said Lt.

The city of Calabasas' tire recycling efforts have reached a point where the rubber meets the road--in a manner of speaking. The city has applied for a $13,750 state grant to cover the cost of converting 16,800 tires stored at the Calabasas Landfill into rubberized asphalt for use on local streets. The money would go toward transporting the tires to a facility in Fontana, where they would be ground up and turned into asphalt, said Calabasas City Manager Charles Cate.

Newly elected Assemblywoman Sheila James Kuehl has announced legislation that would prevent the expansion of existing landfills and the creation of new ones in the Santa Monica Mountains and other local mountain ranges. Assembly Bill 407, she said, would offset legislation enacted last week by the House of Representatives that weakens the power of federal agencies to issue regulations to protect the environment.

First-term Assemblywoman Sheila J. Kuehl has announced legislation that would prevent the expansion of existing landfills or the creation of new ones in the Santa Monica Mountains and other local mountain ranges. Assembly Bill 407, she said, would offset legislation enacted recently by the House of Representatives that weakens the power of federal agencies to issue regulations to protect the environment.