Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced Monday that a judge ruled in favor of the county in its ongoing dispute with the owner and operator of an illegal dump in an ecologically sensitive area near Oat Mountain.
Declaring the decision an important victory for communities and the environment in the Browns Canyon area of the Santa Susana Mountains, Barger said Chatsworth Superior Court Judge Stephen P. Pfahler’s decision will put an end to the illegal dumping, traffic generated by trucks on Browns Canyon Road and what she said was the general nuisance that local communities have had to endure.
“The county will immediately confer with law enforcement, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and all necessary regulatory agencies to help vigorously enforce the court’s order and ensure that the defendants adhere to Judge Pfahler’s order,” Barger said.
Pfahler on Friday agreed with the county that Wayne Fishback, Charles Lee, ABC Waste and Cepheid LLC have been violating his 2015 order prohibiting the transport and deposit of concrete and related construction debris to the illegal dump, according to Barger.
Attorneys for the defendants could not be immediately reached. However, Fishback told the Los Angeles Times last week that he wanted to use recycled materials to level the terrain and build Liberty Ranch, a 250-acre site for hikers and horse riders as well construct a village for homeless people. He had the support of Ted Hayes, a longtime homeless advocate.
Lee, a developer who owns land near Fishback’s property, called Fishback a “hero” and a “genius,” according to the newspaper.
The county brought its motion when it became apparent that the dumping continued despite the court previously enjoining the activity, according to Barger, who said the judge confirmed his prior order and imposed additional significant restrictions on the defendants’ activities, including a ban on all Class 6 trucks and higher from the property.