Hundreds of San Gabriel Valley residents faced state and federal officials during a warm social meeting on Wednesday, asked how the local entertainment area became a processing platform Hazardous waste from the Eaton fire Without social input.
The Environmental Protection Agency is trucking hazardous waste for sorting and storing the Laro Park in Irvindale about 15 miles from the Altatena Burn zone. The Rocky area, known as the Laro Staging Area, belongs to the American Military Corps of Engineers and has been leased to the Los Angeles County Parks sector till this month.
This site now belongs to a tent that seques workers in security gear Hazardous household goods -This includes paint, bleach, asbestos and lithium-ion batteries-they cannot be sent to landscapes.
State Sen. Susan Rubio (T-Baldwin Park) and many local mayors learned about them EPA uses the Irvindale Site From news reports.
Residents of Duwarte, Azusa and nearby cities said they were angry that they were not notified that truck was waste by truck at a popular entertainment area near the San Gabriel River. Some people said they were afraid that toxic chemicals or other fire debris enter the air, soil or water.
Officials of the EPA and California agencies that handle environmental protection and toxic products assured residents that they would take security precautions, but “We don't like it!” And “Find another place!”
“Once you get a community, it was sad and it was very difficult to walk again,” Rubio said.
At one point, a woman got up from her seat and asked if the authorities were comfortable to send their children to school near such a site.
Yes, Katy Butler, head of the state toxic department, said: “Dangerous waste seems very scary because it is sometimes, that is why experts have to handle it properly.”
The EPA operates under the 30 -day deadline to remove all the hazardous waste from the burning areas of the Eden and the Polystes Fire, so that the military personnel can safely destroy the wreckage, said the commander of the agency Tara Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald had said Residents of the frustrated Pacific Polystes The process may take “months” last week.
In order to expedite the removal work for 30 days, the EPA's scene, Celestay McCai, testified to the Los Angeles County Supervisors this week that the EPA was told to “on the orders of the White House”. McCay said it takes less than six months for cleanup, but it is an assessment.
“Again, this is unknown,” he said. “The size of this is bigger than we have previously handled.”
Many mayors, including Rubio and Duwart's Caesar Garcia, have repeatedly pressed Fitzgerald to see if it could extend the 30 -day deadline, or at least EPA lithium -ion batteries could be moved to another site.
“I don't know that we can review the deadline,” said Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald chose the EPA Irrindale site because it was large and flat to suit their needs, and because it got. Other potential sites close to the fire zone, including Rose Paul and Santa Anita Park, are used for firefighters and relief efforts.
Home waste from the policy fire will be truck to the location of the motel at a former Topanga farm in Malibu. Fitzgerald said the EPA is taking care of additional processing sites for both firefighters, including the Altatena Golf Ground and the Irrindale Speedway.
President Trump, who met with him and other local officials during a brief visit to Los Angeles last week, said, “30 days.”
“EPA should start yesterday,” said Parker.

Contractors for the EPA are removing hazardous items in a home in Altatena on January 29.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Cleaning begins in the burning zone with EPA contractors in respiratory equipment, white cases and hard caps through the ruins of homes and businesses. Dangerous materials are placed in buckets and other containers and truck to the Irrindale site.
There will be no permanent waste on the Laro site, but it is not clear where it will end.
Fitzgerald said that the EPA has installed liners in the area to prevent the toxic substances from exiting the soil. He said the agency had performed soil testing before starting and that the soil would be re -examined before departing.
After Huawei, MA AU 2023 WildfireThe truck was trucking the EPA truck waste for a shooting range on the island about 10 miles from the burning zone. About 2,200 buildings were destroyed in the fire, and the cleanup of the EPA took four months.
Jennifer Roman from Duwart attended a meeting with his brother -in -law, and was not committed. He said he was worried that waste was trucking through half a dozen cities to reach the site and how it was not clear how residents or workers would be protected.
The Laro Staging Area is sitting next to the Santa Fay Dam entertainment area across the San Gabriel River.
Roman said Roman said that if the toxins enter the air, soil or water, they would be numerous at the nearby City of Hope Hospital or a pension home.
“I don't know why we should trust them,” the Roman said about government agencies. “Did they always lie?”
Times staff writer David Janiser contributed to the report.