Will Rogers State Beach parking lot turned into wildfire debris sorting site
As the cleanup efforts continue in the Pacific Palisades, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will turn the Will Rogers State Beach parking lot into a processing site for hazardous wildfire material.
The temporary site will help crews speed up debris removal from the community following the Palisades Fire. At the parking lot, crews will consolidate, package and load the materials for permanent disposal at a recycling facility. The EPA said the location was chosen because it was flat, open land close to the fire zone.
The EPA will conduct air monitoring to ensure healthy conditions in the surrounding areas.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park described the location as a poor decision.
"I think that there are opportunities to deal with this material in a contained environment, in the burn zone, rather than bringing this to another location and risk further environmental harm and contamination," Park said.
She said she suggested alternative locations to state and federal officials.
"My expectation is, if they are going to use it, they are going to do so in a safe way, and that they are going to keep this time-limited, and they are going to leave the place absolutely spotless and better than they found it," Park said.
This is the second sorting site for the Palisades Fire debris. The EPA has been using state land on Topanga Canyon Boulevard to process some of the debris. However, during a Monday meeting in Malibu FEMA Regional Director Michael Montgomery said crews need "significantly" more space.
"We need over 20 acres of staging areas," FEMA Regional Director Michael Montgomery said. "We need significantly more staging areas."
The first site sparked concerns with Malibu residents.
"The way that you figure out there's a health risk is when people start getting sick," one resident said during the meeting. "Because there are so few of us here, we don't matter at all."
Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart commended the new site.
"The City of Malibu is grateful to California State Parks and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for working together to accelerate wildfire recovery efforts," he stated. "The addition of a second temporary EPA processing site at Will Rogers State Beach Parking Lot is an important step in ensuring hazardous materials are removed safely and efficiently, helping impacted residents move forward in rebuilding their homes."
