The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will use the parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach to handle toxic waste being cleared out of the Palisades Fire zone, despite earlier claims by EPA officials that requests to use this location were denied.
In a press release issued by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, it was confirmed that, “The parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach will serve as a temporary site for damaged household hazardous materials transported from nearby properties to be processed, securely packaged, and safely loaded for transportation to a permanent disposal or recycling facility outside of the area. This location is suitable because it is flat, open land in close proximity to damaged properties that require debris removal.”
This decision was criticized by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, which she said was made with "zero transparency."
“We understand the need to get this material up and off the ground and out of the area is urgent,” Park said speaking to the Westside Current. “But we have to do this in a way that is responsible and does not cause further harm to our ecosystems, especially our sensitive marine environments. And if they put this at the beach, one high tide or king tide could wash it right out to the ocean.”
The January wildfires generated 4.5 million tons of waste, or nearly half of the county's typical annual waste total of 11 million tons, according to county Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.
Many items typically found in homes contain chemicals and materials that will produce toxic fumes and residuals when burnt. Televisions, laptops, solar panels and in fact just about anything electronic, batteries, cars and electric vehicles all contain components that are made from materials that present a contamination danger after being utterly incinerated. And then there’s the asbestos, which still exists in many houses built between 1930 and 1950.
According to Rusty Harris-Bishop, California Site Cleanup Section Manager for the EPA, the government agency originally wanted to set a facility up at Will Rogers Beach, but that was denied for reasons that not even the EPA are totally sure about.
“We wanted Will Rogers. We were denied initially … I don't know the interior discussions about that, but we're still working on them. For the Eaton fire, we're looking at the Rose Bowl, Santa Anita Raceway. When we got here and started this work, they were still full. They were being used by emergency vehicles from Cal Fire and from the utility companies, because there's a lot of work going on," Harris-Bishop said.
“There are a lot of large vehicles and equipment being staged all over the county to respond to this. And so we need our space as well, but there are other people who were here first fighting the fire. So as those open up, we're hoping that we can move into some of them.”
This news comes only days after residents of Topanga Canyon protested the decision to place a sorting site for toxic and contaminated debris cleared from the Palisades Fire where the Topanga Ranch Motel used to be.
“This is LA County. We'll take the county. Okay? I understand the struggle, we all shared resources … but it is their stuff, and they do have a huge amount of area available. I bet you guys would love to use that space [Will Rogers]. It's huge. It's eight times the size of this … This is a flood zone. What's your plan if this area floods?” local resident Chad White asked during Friday’s protest.
Similar concerns are also being raised at another site near the Eaton Fire processing site, Lario Park in Irwindale. Officials from the EPA have stressed that every precaution was being taken to ensure that the operation goes smoothly and that the materials are being transported in sealed containers on trucks.
The EPA’s role is in essence a “first-pass cleanup” of properties damaged and destroyed by the wildfires. Their inevitable task is to remove hazardous wastes, including aerosol cans, batteries, paints, pesticides and propane tanks from fire-impacted areas. It is hoped that this stage of the recovery will be completed by the end of February.
After properties are cleared of any potential dangerous waste materials, residents can either chose to have the US Army Corps of Engineers clear out the remaining debris, at no cost to them, or hire private contractors.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
