A contentious fight is taking shape in a California oil boomtown, where residents say a sprawling landfill has exposed the community to foul smells and potentially toxic emissions, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
Roughly 43 residents and workers sued Waste Connections US Inc. and Madera Disposal Systems Inc. in federal court Friday. The complaint alleges that the Avenal Regional Landfill has become a hazardous public nuisance, damaging people’s health, homes and everyday quality of life.
The 173-acre waste facility occupies the northern edge of Avenal, close to residential neighborhoods, schools, parks and commercial properties.
According to the lawsuit, the closest house is only about 500 feet away, while all of Avenal’s approximately 14,000 residents live within 1.5 miles of the landfill.
“The noxious odors and toxic gases made living conditions around the landfill unbearable,” the plaintiffs say in the 23-page complaint.
The residents allege that gases from landfill operations and leachate have produced ongoing odors and triggered a range of health complaints, including headaches, nosebleeds, breathing difficulties, dizziness, trouble focusing and heart-related problems.
The complaint says some people now remain indoors, avoid their yards and keep their windows and doors closed—even on days when they would otherwise welcome fresh air.
Residents also say ordinary activities, such as cutting the grass, have become stressful because of fears that they or their relatives could encounter “toxic chemicals with unknown short- and long-term health effects,” the lawsuit states.
The alleged exposure concerns have reportedly led some families to question whether it is safe for their children to play outdoors or attend school, according to the filing.
Others claim the persistent smells have made them uncomfortable inviting friends and relatives into their homes and have contributed to declining property values.
The landfill dispute arrives as Avenal faces a separate political crisis that has shaken the city’s government.
Voters recalled four of the five members of the City Council in April: Mayor Alvaro Preciado and council members Leticia Gamez, Pablo Hernandez and David Reynosa. The recall campaign cited concerns including the city’s fire department and government transparency.
The officials contested the recall and remained in their positions until a Kings County Superior Court judge ruled in August that they had improperly continued serving after the recall results were certified.
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Avenal’s history has long been closely connected to the landfill and the industries surrounding it.
The community grew into an oil “boomtown” following a major drilling campaign in 1928 and 1929. Standard Oil developed the settlement, which eventually housed about 3,000 people, most of them employed in the oil industry.
Avenal is now promoted as the “Pistachio Capital of the World,” and much of its workforce is employed in agriculture or at Avenal State Prison.
The landfill’s origins reach back to 1929, when Standard Oil began using the property to dispose of waste. The city later assumed control before turning over daily operations to Madera Disposal in 2002. Waste Connections subsequently became involved in running the site.
The lawsuit also cites what it describes as a lengthy record of regulatory scrutiny and complaints.
The complaint says the Kings County Local Enforcement Agency examined odor reports dozens of times from 2020 through August 2026.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has likewise investigated hundreds of complaints over multiple years, including reports involving odors, dust and open burning.
In one 2020 investigation, the agency looked into odors that residents said were causing health problems, the lawsuit says.
California air regulators allegedly detected landfill-related odors during multiple surveillance operations, while the lawsuit says federal and state agencies have also investigated elevated temperatures and gas emissions at the site.
CalRecycle reportedly found landfill-gas readings exceeding 145 degrees Fahrenheit since 2024, with some measurements topping 160 degrees. The complaint says carbon monoxide readings in several wells reached as high as 3,420 parts per million.
The complaint says temperatures above 145 degrees can indicate a subsurface fire, while CalRecycle has said carbon monoxide concentrations above 1,500 parts per million “strongly suggest” a subsurface fire.
The plaintiffs accuse Waste Connections and Madera Disposal of negligence, private nuisance and negligence per se.
They are seeking damages for alleged injuries and property losses, as well as medical monitoring and an injunction that could ultimately require remediation, additional monitoring or even permanent closure of the landfill.
“Defendants’ actions were, and continue to be, intentional, willful, malicious, oppressive, and made with a conscious disregard for the rights or safety of Plaintiffs,” the complaint alleges.
