OXNARD : Landfill Lawsuits Placed on Hold

A timeout has been called in the legal battle over who should pay the maintenance costs for the Bailard Landfill once it closes.

Two years ago, the Ventura Regional Sanitation District sued the owners of the landfill near Oxnard, alleging that they refused to pay the anticipated $15.2-million post-closure bill for the dump site. The owner countersued, claiming that the sanitation district failed to control household hazardous wastes coming into Bailard.

With the trial scheduled for Monday, the owners and the sanitation district announced an agreement that puts the lawsuits on hold until state and county officials decide whether to allow Bailard to operate past the end of this year.

The landfill is scheduled to close Dec. 7, but the sanitation district is seeking to stretch that deadline to May, 1997.

If the life of the landfill is extended, the lawsuits could not return to court until at least next summer.

As part of the newest agreement, the owners agreed to allow the creation of a park or wildlife sanctuary on the dump site once it shuts down.

Backing down from earlier demands for immediate closure, Oxnard representatives have announced they would be willing to support a phased closure over the next few years in return for the creation of the regional parklands.