Hoodline

Avenal Landfill Lawsuit Alleges Toxic Fumes Sickened Residents Amid City Power Struggle

About 43 residents and workers in Avenal have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Waste Connections US Inc. and Madera Disposal Systems Inc. of turning the Avenal Regional Landfill into a health hazard, alleging that noxious odors and toxic gases have made life near the 173-acre dump unbearable. The landfill sits just 500 feet from the nearest home, with roughly 14,000 people living within a mile and a half of the site.