Debate over a proposed expansion at Orange County's Prima Deshecha landfill now spans both wildlife and neighborhood concerns.
Environmental advocates say increasing the site's operations could further endanger already at-risk mountain lions, while nearby residents say they are already dealing with heavier traffic, more noise, and dirtier air.
What happened?
Orange County is weighing a plan to expand the Prima Deshecha landfill so it can take about twice as much trash each day.
Voice of OC reported that the proposal drew added scrutiny after the Center for Biological Diversity sent the county a letter May 29 about the project's potential effects on local mountain lions.
Scott Coberg, a legal fellow, said the county should not rely on an environmental review he believes no longer matches the project's present-day impacts.
He warned, per Voice of OC: "The mountain lion population in the Project area is facing an extinction vortex driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, vehicle strikes, rodenticide poisoning, disease, and other causes. The Project will further destroy habitat, degrade connectivity, and drive the local mountain lion population closer to extinction."
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He also pointed to the age of the county's analysis; the last environmental study for the landfill was completed in 2007, before newer research clarified how severe the threats to Southern California mountain lions had become.
Why does it matter?
Mountain lions need connected habitat to roam, hunt, and find mates, and when development cuts off those pathways, populations can decline quickly.
"The Santa Ana population has the lowest genetic diversity documented for the species aside from the endangered Florida panthers," Coberg wrote, per Voice of OC. "Scientists predict that if further genetic isolation and inbreeding depression occur, this population has a 100% chance of becoming locally extinct within 50 years."
Those wildlife concerns come on top of longstanding complaints. Residents near the landfill have warned about worsening traffic, air pollution, and noise; several nearby cities have also questioned the county's plans for construction and traffic mitigation; and the center noted that mountain lions recently gained protection under the California Endangered Species Act.
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What are people saying?
That, Coberg said, means the county should take a much closer look before moving forward.
"Mountain lions are a threatened species in Southern California, which means the county must be thorough in considering the landfill expansion's consequences for sensitive habitat," he wrote in a statement to Voice of OC. "Using an environmental review that's nearly 20 years old and that focused on a much smaller operation just doesn't cut it. I urge the county to update its review so it reflects today's realities."
The center has not decided whether to sue but said legal action remained possible.
"Given the possibility that the Center will be required to pursue legal remedies in order to ensure that the County complies with its legal obligations including those arising under [the California Environmental Quality Act], we would like to remind the County of its statutory duty to maintain and preserve all documents and communications that may constitute part of the 'administrative record,'" Coberg wrote.
County staff with OC Waste and Recycling declined to comment, Voice of OC reported.
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