The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the County of Los Angeles have formalized a lease agreement for an additional staging area at the Altadena Golf Course in Altadena, California. This marks the third such site utilized by the EPA for temporarily storing hazardous materials collected from the Eaton fire burn footprint.
Assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the EPA's role involves assessing, removing, and safely disposing of hazardous materials from burned areas as part of what is described as the largest wildfire hazardous waste cleanup in its history. Temporary staging areas are established to consolidate and repackage these materials in a controlled setting before transporting them to final disposal facilities.
According to Tara Fitzgerald, EPA Pacific Southwest Incident Commander for EPA’s Emergency Response to the Los Angeles Wildfires, "EPA is working to remove hazardous materials from the burn footprint of the Eaton fire as safely and efficiently as possible." She further emphasized that securing this third staging area is vital for moving more hazardous materials daily into a controlled environment, facilitating quicker recovery for residents.
The absence of such staging areas would hinder EPA's ability to collect hazardous materials, which is essential for initiating recovery efforts for those affected by the fire. This third staging area is crucial in meeting an accelerated timeline for completing Phase 1 of household hazardous waste removal operations.
To protect public safety and minimize environmental impact, EPA implements several mitigation measures around these temporary sites. These include installing fencing to prevent unauthorized entry, establishing buffer zones, pre-sampling current conditions, lining processing areas with protective barriers like plastic and gravel, continuous air monitoring around perimeters, dust control through regular water spraying, safe transportation adhering to Department of Transportation standards, and near-daily packaging and removal of waste without ground contact.
Upon completing Phase 1 operations, further testing will ensure no adverse environmental effects remain. For additional details on these operations or visual insights into how staging area pads are constructed along with protective measures employed at these sites, visit epa.gov/california-wildfires or view photos on their StoryMap via Exit EPA’s website.
Further information can also be found on official channels such as Los Angeles County's recovery efforts website or through social media platforms connected with EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.
