State auditors cite delays, communication gaps in L.A. County’s Chiquita Canyon health response

California State Auditor officials told lawmakers Oct. 29 that Los Angeles County’s public-health response to conditions near Chiquita Canyon Landfill fell short in monitoring, communication and community engagement.

At a Joint Legislative Audit Committee hearing, auditors said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health did not consistently document its review of landfill air-quality reports. The department also did not publicly explain reported exceedances of hydrogen sulfide levels, according to the presentation.

Auditors criticized a late-2024 online health survey because its instructions were unclear, outreach was passive and the survey could not determine how many unique residents responded. They also identified gaps in written updates to the community and declining participation in community advisory meetings.

The auditors compared the county’s response to Chiquita Canyon with its handling of the Aliso Canyon gas-leak emergency. They said the Department of Public Health took 657 days to direct the landfill operator to provide relocation assistance, compared with 22 days in the Aliso Canyon response. The audit presentation attributed the difference in part to leadership turnover and a lack of standard policies and procedures for health-hazard emergencies.

The state auditors separately described the county’s solid-waste enforcement program as acting with reasonable speed and taking appropriate corrective steps, distinguishing that work from the public-health response.

Auditors recommended public-health risk assessments, proactive collection of updated resident health information, a community-informed engagement plan and formal emergency-response procedures. The county indicated it would work on policies and procedures but would not implement several recommendations involving community engagement and updated health assessments, according to the hearing presentation.

The hearing record available for review does not establish that the landfill caused residents’ reported illnesses. The transcript also does not include all community testimony or any closing committee action. The next steps include reviewing the final audit report and the county health department’s response and seeking comment from county officials and Chiquita Canyon representatives.