EPA, LA County Working On Largest Wildfire Hazardous Waste Cleanup Ever

Photo: EPA, California

India-West Staff Reporter

ALTADENA, CA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the County of Los Angeles have signed a lease agreement for a temporary staging area at Charles S. Farnsworth Park in Altadena to support hazardous waste cleanup efforts following recent wildfires.

The EPA is conducting its largest wildfire hazardous waste cleanup operation to date. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has tasked the agency with assessing, collecting, and safely disposing of hazardous materials from burned areas. The staging area will consolidate and repackage waste for transport to disposal facilities.

Officials say the staging area is essential for hazardous waste collection, a necessary step for residents affected by the Eaton Fire to begin recovery. Securing additional sites is also critical for the EPA to complete Phase 1 of household hazardous waste removal.

EPA Pacific Southwest Incident Commander Tara Fitzgerald said the staging area will help accelerate cleanup operations and assist residents in recovery. The agency has outlined safety measures, including fencing to restrict unauthorized entry and a buffer zone around the site. The staging area will not impact the Historic District, Davies Building, or oak trees within Farnsworth Park, officials said.

Environmental precautions include pre-sampling, lining processing areas, continuous air monitoring, dust control measures, and compliance with Department of Transportation standards for hazardous material transport. Once Phase 1 is complete, further testing will confirm that the staging area has not caused any environmental harm.