SoCal woman develops scary symptoms months after moving to scenic enclave as outraged neighbors revolt

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Dust coating patios, dirty air filters and concerns about what children are breathing have fueled opposition to a proposal that would allow an Orange County landfill to accept twice as much trash.

Residents near the Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano say construction to expand the facility has already sent dirt drifting into their neighborhoods. They want independent air quality testing and stronger dust controls before county officials approve an increase in daily waste deliveries, according to Voice of OC.

For Anika Atkins, the concerns emerged shortly after a move she hoped would improve life for her daughter, who uses a wheelchair.

Atkins settled in San Juan Capistrano in May, believing she had found a home that offered greater safety and accessibility. Within two months, she had been diagnosed with asthma and hospitalized with atypical pneumonia. Air filters in her home were filling with dirt.

“I’ve never had any kind of bronchitis, any kind of issue with my lungs, so that wasn’t even on my radar. I didn’t even really think about the landfill,” Atkins told Voice of OC. “That’s kind of scary. That just isn’t something I expected.”

Her experience is among the complaints from nearby residents who describe dust accumulating on their homes and report coughing, irritated eyes and other respiratory symptoms. Those accounts do not establish that landfill operations caused the illnesses.

County officials have already approved a physical expansion of the landfill, with hillside blasting and excavation preparing additional space for waste disposal. Neighbors say the work has worsened conditions around their homes.

A separate proposal would raise the landfill’s permitted daily intake from 4,000 tons to 8,000 tons. The facility currently receives roughly 2,600 tons a day.

The proposed increase comes as Orange County prepares for the eventual closure of the Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea, which is expected to reach capacity by 2036. Waste would instead go to Prima Deshecha and the Bowerman Landfill in Irvine.

But approval of the higher daily limit has stalled amid objections from residents and questions from public agencies, including the South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Juan Capistrano officials and the California Department of Transportation.

A date for supervisors to reconsider the proposal remains unclear. Both candidates running to represent the Fifth Supervisorial District, which includes the landfill, have said the surrounding communities’ concerns require further attention.

OC Waste and Recycling spokesperson Francine Bangert told Voice of OC that three water trucks spray a combined 200,000 gallons daily to suppress dust.

“Our team continues to monitor site conditions and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures to determine whether adjustments are needed,” Bangert said in a written response.

The department has also considered permanent and portable misting systems, along with other misting options, she said.

Residents say the dust has created a growing burden.

Ellen Vinck, president of the Rancho San Juan Homeowners Association board, said living near the landfill had once been relatively uneventful.

“I knew they were there when we moved in here,” she told Voice of OC. “But it wasn’t like this.”

Since hillside work began, Vinck said, dust has settled over her backyard pool, patio and plants, requiring repeated cleaning. She said the homeowners association has also faced additional expenses, including storm drain repairs, while street sweeping has left muddy trails along neighborhood roads.

Sonya Stockwell, who has lived in the surrounding area for more than three decades, said both of her dogs began coughing after expansion work started.

“One of them, he’s three, the youngest one. The other we’ve had for like maybe 12 years … they got the cough at the same time,” she said. “I have air filters in every room in our house, and they get pretty dirty.”

For Tracy Sutherland, an organizer opposing the proposed increase in waste deliveries, the concern extends to her son’s baseball practices at a nearby high school.

“My son is practicing baseball and all around the dugouts and everything there’s a thick, thick dust,” Sutherland told Voice of OC. “I’m worried because my kid could possibly be breathing all these plumes of dirt that I see flying into this community.”

“What is my kid inhaling?”

Sutherland and other residents want an independent third party to monitor neighborhood air quality before the county allows additional trash deliveries.

Hundreds of people submitted objections earlier this year, describing odors, airborne dust and debris on La Pata Highway.

“Our community is already experiencing significant negative impacts. These include ongoing air quality disturbances, persistent and strong odors, and debris from landfill operations obstructing La Pata Highway,” San Juan Capistrano resident Monique Carroll wrote to county officials. “These conditions pose risks not only to our health but also to our personal safety.”

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters