The Signal
Pilar Schiavo | Another Crisis at Chiquita Canyon Landfill
Jennifer, a mom of three and a Val Verde resident, has been one of the strongest voices pushing for accountability. She has worked alongside me on AB 28, testified before policymakers, and never stopped advocating for her neighbors.
I wanted to share her words because they remind us what is truly at stake:
“When Pilar first came to my home and spent the night, she didn’t come for a photo opportunity — she came because she wanted to understand what our families were living through. She experienced the odors, saw how impossible it is to escape them, and listened as neighbors shared how our lives have been turned upside down. She saw the impacts herself, including a near-immediate headache, waking up with a bloody nose, and ringing in her ears that continued over a year later.
“Since then, we’ve worked on Assembly Bill 28 — the Landfill Safety Act — and many other actions because our community deserves stronger protections, transparency, and accountability. But now, as excavation work has intensified, many of us are once again feeling even sicker. Families are waking up with headaches. Children can’t play outside. Many of us are trapped like prisoners inside our own homes. The odors and toxic air are getting into my neighbor’s homes in the middle of the night, waking them from their sleep. My own kids once again have increased bloody noses. And with school about to start, we are incredibly worried about what’s to come.
“We understand that safety work at the landfill is necessary, but that doesn’t mean our community should be left to bear the consequences. We need real protections, immediate relief, and leaders who continue fighting for us until this crisis is over. I’m grateful that Pilar has been the strongest voice fighting for our community. She never stopped standing with us. And once again she stood with us to call on Chiquita Canyon Landfill and Waste Connections to put the needed protections in place so my family and all of our neighbors can escape the toxic air being released and making us sick. We need to be able to live safely through this dangerous construction.”
Jennifer’s story reflects what I have heard from countless families throughout Val Verde and Castaic. And that’s why I will continue fighting for immediate relief, stronger oversight, and long-term solutions through legislation, press conferences, demand letters, and frankly, every tool available to me.
