Residents, local leaders gather at Calabasas landfill opposing fire debris dumping
Residents and local leaders gathered outside of the Calabasas landfill Monday morning opposing the federal government's plan to dump fire debris from the recent wildfires.
Members from the group Protect Calabasas and others from the community gathered for the second time. Individuals with signs were heard chanting, "No poison dumped into our ground," standing in front of the landfill entrance.
Residents and parents are concerned with the proximity of the landfill to schools and residential communities.
Dallas Lawrence, President of the La Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education, said the entire operation was done without consultation of local entities. He believes the process was rushed without proper environmental testing to determine if the debris would have health impacts on the nearby communities.
"This is one of the worst organized and coordinated events I've ever seen in government," Lawrence said. "We are taking one tragedy in the Palisades and creating another tragedy that will last for a generation."
Residents like Lawrence are hoping for at least a pause to allow for more conversations while another solution is found.
In response to concerns, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath's office explained the Board of Supervisors holds authority over hours of operation and tonnage per day, but cannot decide where or how the debris is disposed of.
"Our communities deserve transparent and comprehensive information on fire debris disposal. I understand our residents' concerns, which is why I have called on our federal and state partners--who hold the authority for fire debris removal--to share their plan with the public, including timelines, hauling routes, and safety practices," Horvath wrote in a statement.
The Calabasas City Council will be hosting a special meeting Monday afternoon to see if there's any legal action they can take to stop the dumping.
"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," Mayor Peter Kraut of Calabasas said last week.
