Commenting on the environmental impact report for the Simi Valley landfill expansion serves no real point. Once you’ve followed these processes a few times you realize that, like statistics, EIRs can be skewed to prove whatever result is desired.

I’m convinced fighting Waste Management’s well-financed, long-term plan is just as futile. It’s pretty much a done deal.

While some of the negatives can be mitigated, the increased traffic on our streets, the potential for pollution and leaching into groundwater, but more than anything else the fact that the majority of refuse going into "our landfill" will come from far away places, cannot be. Waste Management has tossed out a few bones—a recycling facility and methane gas recapture system. Well, duh, it’s 2010.

If we are going to sell ourselves, we ought to at least be well paid. How about a state-of-the-art composting facility, a refuse-to-energy plant or something else that’s green and forward-thinking which might actually benefit Simi Valley long term? We’re taking tons of trash, and WM is going to make tons and tons of money.

Now it’s up to our city and county elected representatives to actually step to the plate and represent our best interests and to insist that if we are going to get screwed, we better damn well at least get kissed.
Doug Crosse
Simi Valley