Hose malfunction causes hazardous spill at Chiquita Canyon landfill
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A high-pressure pump system at the Chiquita Canyon landfill in Castaic malfunctioned Friday evening, resulting in a hazardous spill.
Firefighters initially responded to the 29200 block of Henry Mayo Drive Friday around 7 p.m. to a report regarding an explosion, according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman.
Upon further investigation, firefighters determined that there was a mechanical malfunction of a small high-pressure hose.
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According to the spokesman, an employee was taken to a hospital before firefighters arrived at the location.
The person's condition remains unknown.
Fire crews and health hazmat personnel will remain on the scene to ensure proper clean-up.
The landfill has been repeatedly cited for health and air quality violations. Earlier in the week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called the landfill an imminent danger to the community's health, while the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) alleged that liquid toxic waste was trucked from the Castaic landfill to a Gardena facility that doesn't accept toxic material.