Kourtney Kardashian joins fire debris Calabasas Landfill protest, "We're not ok with this"
Kourtney Kardashian joined a Thursday afternoon Calabasas rally, where community members protested the hauling of wildfire debris into the landfill.
Holding a sign that read "Fill our Hydrants, Not our Dumps," the reality TV star said she's just raising awareness.
"We're here to make it known that we're not ok with this. Toxic chemicals and ash do not belong in a community where there's kids and families -- and people work here," she said.
The Calabasas Landfill is one of three in Los Angeles County that is to receive Phase 2 fire debris, which includes ash, soil, and the remnants of homes such as chimneys and foundations. The landfill's website states "This facility can take disaster-related waste, including fire debris that is certified as having hazardous wastes removed."
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an increase in daily dumping limits at the three landfills as crews continue to process debris from the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn zones.
Community members in Calabasas have been vocal against receiving fire waste. During a protest last week, a group stood in front of the landfill's entrance chanting "No poison dumped into our ground."
Calabasas Mayor Peter Kraut commented earlier on the matter, saying "Palisades and the City of Malibu are certainly entitled to a speedy recovery, but we don't want to take one environmental hazard to another location."
Kardashian also wanted alternative locations for the fire debris. "We would love it to go, where, to the middle of nowhere -- where it's not around any families or children," she said.
Federal officials have said that hazardous wastes removed from the fire zones by the United States Environmental Protection Agency were not being taken to any of the landfills. They said they were instead being hauled to other dumps that are capable of handling such debris.
Typically the Calabasas Landfill only accepts waste from the surrounding areas, including Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Malibu, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks. Now, following the board of supervisors's recent approval, the landfill will accept material from outside of that specific area for at least six months.
Kardashian pointed out that there is a park down the street from the landfill. "It's just scary to think about staying here, you know, with all these toxins, toxic chemicals being dumped in our community, and like watching it drive by is actually terrifying."
