A group of California lawmakers and state oversight officials have admonished Los Angeles County health authorities for failing to attend a public hearing on their response to a toxic chemical reaction within Chiquita Canyon Landfill.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held a public hearing Thursday evening in Santa Clarita Valley International School to discuss the findings of recent California State Auditor report that identified deficiencies in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s response to health risks at the landfill. Since May 2022, garbage has been smoldering deep underground, releasing toxic fumes into nearby communities of Castaic and Valverde.