The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the opening of two sites for the temporary collection of hazardous materials left by both the Eaton and Palisades fires however multiple city officials in the San Gabriel Valley are uniting in opposition to one of the sites.
The cities of Duarte, Irwindale, Baldwin Park and Azusa are banding together against the designation of Lario Park as a fire waste collection site.
The Lario Staging Area is on federally owned property just north of the 210 Freeway in Irwindale, giving the EPA authority over the issue, but local officials say they do not want to see the area turned into a toxic dumping ground.
“While I recognize the importance of addressing the aftermath of the fire and ensuring proper disposal of hazardous waste, this federal project has not included consultation or consideration of the local communities that will be directly affected,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement Monday.
Officials say the EPA is using the Lario Staging Area to dump and process hazardous waste such as paints, cleansers, oils, propane tanks, batteries – including lithium-ion batteries – from burned-out vehicles and homes, as well as asbestos.
They say that storing those materials in Lario Park could expose residents to toxic waste as materials could contaminate the air or seep into the groundwater used by thousands of residents.
The EPA issued a statement in an attempt to ease those concerns:
“EPA will conduct perimeter air monitoring, and a water truck will spray three times daily to control dust. All materials will be transported safely from the burn area. Waste will be properly packaged and removed from the site daily, without coming into contact with the ground,” a portion of the statement read.
However, local officials are not convinced.
“I’m in substantial opposition to it. I’m incredibly frustrated with it. I’m incredibly frustrated that our counterparts have taken the political route and not notified us with something so serious that could have health ramifications to our residents,” Azusa City Councilmember Andrew Mendez said.
Baldwin Park Mayor Alejandro Avila also expressed her opposition:
“The absence of any meaningful consultation with affected cities prior to this decision is unacceptable. We are in firm opposition of these efforts, and we will not allow these decisions to go unchallenged,” Avila’s statement read.
Residents have also started a Change.org petition to oppose hazardous waste collection at Lario Park and are pushing for the EPA to stop processing at the site immediately.
The EPA has stated that other sites were considered but were not large enough to handle the waste or were already being used.
The City of Duarte will hold a town hall at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Duarte Performing Arts Center to discuss the issue.
