MISSION VIEJO : Prosecutor to Discuss Waste Industry

A Los Angeles County prosecutor will speak at the third in a series of special meetings on waste disposal and recycling at 6 p.m. today at City Hall.

Mike Delany, head deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County who has prosecuted waste disposal companies on violations of antitrust and racketeering laws, will discuss “Anti-Competitive Practices in the Waste Industry: A Prosecutor’s Perspective.”

Mission Viejo is currently in a dispute with its trash hauler, Dewey’s Rubbish Disposal Inc., over the validity of the municipal waste hauling contract. Mayor Robert A. Curtis said the City Council will consider hiring special legal counsel to inspect the document and represent the city in any possible legal action.

Dewey’s Rubbish Disposal had been invited to submit a bid, but company officials declined, saying their contract with the city for residential waste disposal does not expire for another four years.

The city-sponsored waste management meetings have featured a number of experts in the disposal field. Curtis praised the series on Monday, saying it has drawn interest from the community and surrounding cities in the county.

“A successful waste and recycling program must involve an educated and motivated public,” he said. “I think our program has been successful in that regard.”