Van Nuys Airport Tenants Seek Trash Waiver

A group representing master tenants at Van Nuys Airport is seeking changes to how the city of Los Angeles collects waste and recyclables at the San Fernando Valley airfield. Van Nuys Airport Association President Curt Castagna sent a letter Monday to Enrique Zaldivar, director at the Bureau of Sanitation in the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, requesting a waiver of a new surcharge paid by the tenants to allow Waste Management Inc. trucks to access trash bins that are located behind locked airport gates. “Since most airport businesses are physically unable to place their trash receptacles curbside and are mandated by Los Angeles World Airports to keep all access gates securely locked, it is unreasonable for L.A. Sanitation to charge this never before charged extra fee to gain access to the city’s airport,” Castagna wrote in the letter. Starting Oct. 1, all businesses at the airport were mandated to use Waste Management for their waste hauling and recycling collection needs. Additionally, the tenants want Waste Management drivers to have safety and security access training provided by the affected tenants that will allow them access to the tenants’ properties. “Once the training has been completed, the drivers would be issued gate access cards and all surcharges for entering a secured gate will be waived,” Castagna said in the letter to Zaldivar. Lastly, Castagna suggested that the Bureau of Sanitation evaluate the feasibility of providing trash pickup and recycling services directly to the airport tenants as it does at Los Angeles International Airport and not use the outside vendor Waste Management. A meeting took place Oct. 17 between the airport tenants, representatives from LAWA, the bureau of sanitation and the staff of Los Angeles Councilwoman Nury Martinez to discuss the issue.