A landfill near Sylmar and Granada Hills, long a source of frustration for nearby residents, is once again drawing fierce opposition—this time over its role in wildfire debris disposal.

Concerns over potential health and environmental risks have sparked community meetings where more than 100 residents voiced their worries about Sunshine Canyon Landfill. And a Change.org petition had gathered nearly 900 signatures as of Monday afternoon.

Under pressure from community opposition, some lawmakers are weighing additional actions to prevent the 363-acre Sylmar dump from accepting potentially hazardous debris as part of phase 2 of the wildfire cleanup.

On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion by Councilmember John Lee and seconded by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, directing the City Attorney to seek a temporary restraining order against Republic Services and Browning-Ferris Industries—the landfill’s operators—to block the acceptance of wildfire-related hazardous soil.

Lee, who represents Council District 12, where the landfill is located, said protecting the community’s health and safety is his top priority.

“The proposal for Sunshine Canyon Landfill to accept this debris, without sufficient testing and oversight, is an insult to the communities that are located near this landfill,” Lee said in a statement. “Our district has already faced numerous environmental challenges, and I simply can’t allow another one to make its way to our neighborhoods.”

Residents who live near the landfill say they share Lee’s concerns, citing longstanding frustrations with the site.

On Jan. 23, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council took an official stance by unanimously opposing the disposal of wildfire debris from the Eaton and Palisades Fires at landfills or spreading grounds in the Sylmar area, Kurt Cabrera-Miller, president of Sylmar Neighborhood Council, said in an email Thursday.

In its formal opposition letter, the neighborhood council pointed to the Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades—one of the region’s major water sources—located less than a mile from the landfill, raising fears of contamination during debris transport and long-term disposal.

In addition, with Sylmar designated as a High Fire Severity Zone, residents worry that landfill barriers may not withstand fire damage, potentially turning non-hazardous materials into hazardous waste.

“Sylmar has a long history of being affected by natural and man-made disasters,” Cabrera-Miller said in the letter. “While our hearts go out to all those affected by these two disasters, we strongly oppose any actions that risk further hardship to this community.”

In a statement on Monday, a Sunshine Canyon Landfill spokesperson defended its ability to handle wildfire debris safely.

“Sunshine Sunshine Canyon is a strong community partner and a responsible option to receive non-hazardous fire waste,” a spokesperson for Republic Services said. “The landfill has a state-of-the-art liner system, cover system and robust gas collection system to help ensure the material is managed safely and responsibly,” the spokesperson said.

The organization declined to comment on the City Council legislation by Councilmembers Lee and Rodriguez.

Brian Allen, who has lived near the landfill for a decade, said he and many others have long questioned whether the facility poses a health hazard. Allen said he was speaking as a resident—not in his capacity as president of the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council, which has not taken an official stance.

For years, residents have complained about persistent odors from the landfill, but Allen said there has never been a clear answer on whether the emissions pose a health risk.

With the landfill located near homes, he and others fear that bringing in wildfire debris could make the situation worse—especially since, in his view, there is no reliable way to separate toxic materials from the ash.

“The reason I say that is because these houses burned down, and they burned down in mass,” Allen said. “And when they do that, all the chemicals and apparatus that’s in the house, from radios to televisions to computers to whatever, it all gets melted together and combined in the ash, and the ash can be toxic.”

Graham Czach, vice president of the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council, speaking as a resident, questioned whether officials were moving too quickly.

Czach pointed to the landfill’s record number of odor complaints in 2023 and 2024, as well as a spike in violations issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District over the past year.

“I’m concerned, the community is concerned, about the fact that they can’t even control and handle the trash that they’re already dumping there to protect the community from hazardous odors and toxins being released in the air,” he said.

Since 1958, the landfill near Granada Hills and Sylmar has provided waste disposal services to the city, receiving between 12,100 and 15,000 tons of waste per day. But the site has been the focus of numerous complaints from residents and school administrators in Granada Hills and Sylmar over persistent odors and the landfill’s growing capacity.

On Feb. 4, the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council hosted a meeting that drew more than 150 in-person attendees. And on Feb. 13, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office held a virtual Sunshine Canyon Debris Removal Townhall with more than 120 residents.

Community concerns have also gained traction online. A petition started on Feb. 14 by Kasia Sparks, a Granada Hills resident and mother, gathered more than 870 signatures in three days.