California's heavy regulation fuels a lucrative trial-lawyer scheme at a landfill
An opinion piece argues that while California tightly regulates industry, it has allowed plaintiff lawyers to exploit the Chiquita Canyon Landfill case for big fees.
In Val Verde, the Chiquita Canyon Landfill’s odor problem prompted the operator to set up a $25 million community fund, yet a tangled web of state agencies halted waste intake and created a “gold rush” of litigation. Court documents show text messages from a law firm demanding mass claims, leading to thousands of dubious lawsuits with contingency fees of 40-45 percent.
Wagner points to Executive Order 14181, which enabled the Trump administration to finish wildfire debris removal in 28 days, as a model for the EPA to streamline remediation at the landfill. He warns that without federal oversight, California’s progressive policies will continue to empower predatory plaintiffs’ bars while stifling real environmental solutions.
Why it matters
It highlights how excessive regulation can create loopholes that enable costly legal exploitation, affecting residents and businesses.
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