LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Declaring an important victory for communities and the environment in the Browns Canyon area of the Santa Susana Mountains, Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced that Superior Court Judge Stephen P. Pfahler has ruled in favor of the county in its ongoing dispute with the owner and operator of an illegal dump in an ecologically sensitive area near Oat Mountain.
“I applaud the court’s decision to finally put an end to the illegal dumping, the hundreds of trucks a day on Browns Canyon Road, and the general nuisance our local communities have had to endure for far too long,” said Supervisor Barger. “The county will immediately confer with law enforcement, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and all necessary regulatory agencies to help vigorously enforce the Court’s order and ensure that the defendants adhere to Judge Pfahler’s order.”
In his ruling, Judge Pfahler agreed with the county that Wayne Fishback, Charles Lee, ABC Waste and Cepheid LLC have been violating his 2015 order prohibiting the transport and deposit of concrete and related construction debris to the illegal dump. The county brought its motion when it became apparent that the defendant continued the illegal dumping despite the Court previously enjoining the activity. Judge Pfahler confirmed his prior order and imposed additional significant restrictions on the defendants’ activities including a ban on all Class 6 trucks and higher from the properties.