An online survey on the proposed expansion of the Simi Valley Landfill, which was sent to members of the local Chamber of Commerce this month, appears to point respondents in a particular direction.

“The Simi Valley Chamber board of directors is considering an official position on the future plans of the landfill proposed by Waste Management,” said an e-mail sent to Chamber members Nov. 6 by board president Leigh Nixon. “We are asking our members to take a few moments to fill out the survey below so that we can make an informed decision on your behalf.”

The survey includes 16 questions, most of which require yes-or-no answers, including:

•Do you believe it is important to find a long-term solution for Ventura County’s waste and recycling needs?

•Does your business participate in a recycling program offered by Waste Management?

•If the Modernization & Expansion project does not get approved, would you be willing to pay more for your monthly trash fees?

•Did you know that the Simi Valley Landfill contributes more than $48 million annually to the local Ventura County economy?

•If the project does not get approved as presented, the alternative would be to start building the landfill a visible 500 feet from the freeway. Is that a concern for you?

The survey also asked members to check off which potential benefits of the project they find most important. Near the end of the survey, a question asks if the member supports the expansion.

According to Nixon, the Chamber decided to survey its membership after Waste Management came to the pro-business organization asking for its endorsement.

“They did come to us to ask us for support, so instead of just saying yes, we wanted to survey our members about it,” Nixon said.

The Chamber board of directors reviewed the results of the survey last week. Nixon said she wasn’t sure yet how many people responded, but a fact sheet will be put together with the survey results soon.

When asked why the survey didn’t include questions referencing some of the concerns brought up by the community, Nixon said it’s because the Chamber is a business organization.

“We’re only interested in the business aspect of the project, like job creation and fusing the economy,” she said. “That’s why our questions were geared around strictly business.”

The Chamber’s mission, as stated on its website, is to promote business in Simi Valley “through leadership, political action and services to increase opportunities” for its members.

Nixon said she doesn’t believe the questions leaned toward supporting the expansion. But others disagree.

When presented with the survey, Mayor Pro Tem Barbra Williamson was somewhat critical of the questions, calling the inquiry about paying higher fees if the project isn’t approved a “scare tactic.”

“This is certainly a one-sided survey. I don’t think it takes a genius to see those questions and think, ‘C’mon,’” said Williamson, who in 2007 formed the Simi Valley Landfill Expansion Task Force, an advisory committee of citizens that she leads in an unofficial capacity.

Still, she said, she understands why the Chamber would back WM since the waste hauler is a “huge supporter of the Chamber.”

“I’m not criticizing the Chamber of Commerce—they do a great job, but let’s not kid ourselves. The Chamber of Commerce is in the business of supporting business, and Waste Management is probably the largest income-generating business in Simi Valley, if not the county,” she said.

Councilmember Glen Becerra, who in 2007 called a survey distributed by Williamson’s landfill task force biased against expansion, took a milder approach to the survey.

He said this situation is different because the Chamber isn’t hiding the fact that it’s supportive of business and business needs. He said he’d be more concerned if an environmental group or the city had distributed the survey.

Still, he acknowledged that the survey questions did seem slanted.

“I wouldn’t be telling you the truth if I didn’t say I thought some of them leaned toward supporting the landfill or Waste Management’s expansion,” he said.

Both Becerra and Williamson agree that WM is an excellent member of the Chamber and of the community when it comes to giving back.

According to Lisa Hemenway, community relations manager for the landfill, WM gives more than $270,000 annually—including inkind donations—to local nonprofits, sports leagues and community organizations like the Chamber.

“Waste Management’s a very good . . . partner in this community, and we’re a part of it; not only do we donate but we also volunteer our time,” said Hemenway, who sits on the Chamber board.

Though they are one of the most generous companies in town, Becerra said, the proposed expansion must be evaluated thoroughly and fairly.

“You still have to look at the overall impact on the community—at least we as City Council people do—and evaluate the pros and cons of all of it, the environmental impact, the quality-of-life impact, the truck impact, the charitable impact, all of those things,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s still going to be up to the county Board of Supervisors to take our opinion and weigh their opinion.”

WM’s proposed expansion would triple the size of the landfill to 887 acres, double the disposable trash intake to 6,000 tons per day and relocate G.I. Rubbish from its current facilities on W. Los Angeles Avenue to the landfill site.

The rubbish hauling company also wants to improve existing facilities by adding a household hazardous waste collection center and a facility to transform methane gas into liquefied natural gas for truck fuel.

To view the complete Chamber survey, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=i2iBuntQtCPUdwbOODOsRQ_3d_3d