Kelly Martino stood in front of a thunder cover of a freight semi truck and dragged waste from the Palisades fire, determined to stop it from entering the Calabasas landfill.
Martino was one of dozens of people protesting on Monday,,,,, Worry about the possibility of transporting ash, debris and soil to landfills is toxic.
The crowd shouted “Go back!” and waved a handwritten sign that read “No poison dumping.” As the truck queues grew, sheriff’s representatives threatened to arrest if the crowd did not disperse. Protesters stood up.
“All the ashes, sludge and debris will come here, which is unacceptable to us,” said Martino, who lives near the Agoura Hills. “And we won’t wait A group of children fell ill within 20 years.”
Similar protests occurred last Saturday at the Calabasas landfill and Wednesday on the Granada hills near the Sunshine Canyon landfill. Protesters said they feared that the fire’s toxic chemicals could flow into their neighborhoods as dust in the air or dip into groundwater. They hope authorities will transport the waste to landfills designed for hazardous waste – the facility is sturdy lining to prevent leakage and monitors detect unexpected emissions.
Federal officials retorted that debris can be safely disposed of at local landfills, and transporting them to remote hazardous waste dumps will require longer truck trips to delay cleaning.
“The biggest risk to the community so far is uncontrollable harm to more than 13,000 properties,” said Eric Swenson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Our mission is to bring it from these A controlled environment that is safe for this type of material is obtained in an uncontrolled environment on a separate package.”
The Eaton and Palisades fires have an estimated 4.5 million tons of ashes and wreckage in the Eaton and Palisades fires, one of the biggest disaster fragments in California’s recent history.
Previous assessments found that the levels of toxic chemicals in wildfire ash were Considered hazardous waste By California standards. However, wildfire debris had been brought to the landfill before any tests were conducted.
At the entrance to the Calabasas landfill, various signage outlines the facility’s policies on the matter. One person reads “No Hazardous Waste”. Another lists electronic and household items that may contain toxic substances.
The newly installed sign warns that any incoming fire debris must have Certificate This verifies that it is non-hazardous. However, this provision only applies to private contractors – federally hired crew members who are not involved in the removal of debris.
“Legally, you can’t spray the battery or a can of paint,” said Dallas Lawrence, a resident of Agoura Hills and president of the school board of Calabasas. Bring it into this landfill. ” “But now, they allow hundreds of thousands of tons of burning batteries, paint chips and other things in this community. It’s incomprehensible.”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials say they have cleared thousands of visible hazardous materials, such as batteries, from the Army Corps before overseeing the disposal of ash and other rubble.
Lawrence said he was concerned about their homes and schools in the landfill for children not within a mile.
“Our youngest kids are most vulnerable to these chemicals,” Lawrence said. “There are a lot of other places to go. Our community has a very clear task. It’s about pausing the process and getting the county, state, The federal government actually studies the impact of the environment and develops a plan to ensure there are no toxic chemicals entering residents’ communities.”
In Granada Hills, dozens of people were protesting outside Van Gogh Elementary School this week, a school a mile away from the Sunshine Canyon landfill. The landfill has strong winds on the hillside, and neighbors fear toxic dust and ash will be blown into the downwind community.
“They are actually wearing dangerous goods suits because it’s dangerous because it’s dangerous,” said resident Erick Fefferman.
“If they store that material from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., then parts of these materials will dry out. The wind in Santa Ana will continue to blow, and then the particles can be spread over the dust and ash of the northern San Fernando Valley. .”
Fefferman added that landfills make substantial profits by accepting large amounts of debris. Many landfills are privately owned, about $100 per ton to receive municipal waste or building debris.
Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee, representing the Northwest San Fernando Valley, proposed a measure last week calling on city prosecutors to take legal action to temporarily stop wildfire debris from being abandoned in Sunshine Canyon, citing The Times 》 reports lack of reports. test. The motion has been approved
“The proposal from Sunshine Canyon Landfill accepts this debris, not enough testing and supervision, is an insult to the community located near the landfill,” Lee said. “Our area is already facing many environmental challenges.” , I simply don’t allow another person to enter our community.”
Representatives of the Sunshine Canyon owners Republic Service said the landfill had the ability to deal with incoming fire debris.
“Sunshine Canyon is a strong community partner and a responsible choice for this harmless waste,” a statement said. “We have extensive experience in dealing with fire waste. Landfills have state-of-the-art lining systems, covering systems and a powerful gas collection system to help ensure safe and responsible management of materials.”
Calabasa City officials also Use its city lawyers Explore legal remedies to suspend the flow of debris to landfill in Calabasas.
Some elected officials complain Lack of transparency. There is no list of landfills provided by public agencies that would accept this debris or a pathway to drag it down, putting residents into darkness.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said she shared the frustrations of residents. She presided over the town hall for members of the community living near some of these landfills. But she said the information she received was still insufficient.
“This is a bureaucratic disaster. It is unacceptable and must end,” Hovas said in a statement. “Every level of government has failed to provide the basic information our community deserves to have the Fire Debris Program.”
Simi Valley Landfill, Calabasas Landfill, Azusa Landfill, Sunshine Canyon Landfill and El Sobrant Landfill in Corona are expected to receive Disaster fragments.
Riverside County’s Lambs Canyon and wasteland landfills also require emergency exemptions to increase tonnage. County spokesman Brooke Federico said these landfills usually refuse to go to El Sobrante.
At this week’s Calabasas landfill, the truck blocked by protesters turned around and drove away an hour later.
The crowd burst into cheers. Debris to the Calabasas landfill has been suspended for a week, waiting for the Los Angeles County Supervisory Board meeting next week.
“Today, you’re seeing community rise because our state and county leaders are missing in action,” Lawrence said. “So community rises. We’re together. We close the landfill today.”
