California Cities Vow to Shut Down EPA Site for Hazardous Waste From Fire

Signs labeling destroyed homes as "unsafe" are posted after the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 24, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Leaders of four Southern California cities near the Eaton Fire zone northeast of Los Angeles vowed Jan. 27 to shut down a hazardous debris and toxic materials processing site set up by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to process dangerous waste, such as lithium-ion batteries burned in the fire.

The leaders say the EPA did not notify them before deciding to locate the site at Lario Park, about 15 miles east of Altadena.

Officials from the cities of Azusa, Duarte, Baldwin Park, and Irwindale said in a joint statement Monday they “did not receive advanced notification nor were given an opportunity to express concerns regarding the cities’ close proximity to the site, and the potential negative effects this could have on its communities.”

The site will start operations early next week, officials said.

“The Cities will work to formally oppose this site, as well as mobilize efforts to shut down the site as soon as possible,” the cities stated in the letter, saying they were disappointed with the “lack of respect” for their residents.

The strong reaction comes days after Gov. Gavin Newsom joined with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking the EPA to speed up debris cleanup and remove hazardous and toxic debris from the Eaton and Palisades fire zones within 30 days.

The EPA’s on-scene coordinator for debris removal Tara Fitzgerald attended the Duarte City Council meeting Tuesday to explain the agency’s decision and plan.

According to Fitzgerald, the agency was “tasked to move quickly under an emergency response order in order to begin collecting these hazardous waste materials” to allow property owners to start rebuilding.

The Eaton Fire started Jan. 7 and grew to 14,021 acres before being nearly completely contained on Wednesday. The blaze killed at least 17 people and destroyed 9,418 homes and buildings, while damaging another 1,073, according to the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The EPA has carried out similar temporary staging areas throughout California following other natural disasters and fires, according to Fitzgerald.

A similar staging area for hazardous waste was also established in Maui following the devastating Lahaina wildfire in 2023.

“We’ve been able to do this safely every time we’ve had to respond to these natural disasters,” Fitzgerald told the Duarte city council Tuesday. “We have a proven track record.”

As part of the EPA’s first phase of hazardous materials removal operations, the agency set up a staging area to temporarily store the materials removed from the Eaton Fire, according to the agency.

Homeowner David Marquez (L) holds a metal detector as his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, and a friend look for the remains of gold jewelry and other silver items inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2025. Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo

Other properties, including the Rose Bowl and the Santa Anita Raceway, were considered but Lario Park met the needs of the public health emergency, EPA spokeswoman Anna Drabek told The Epoch Times.

The other sites may be used in the future after the hazardous and toxic waste is removed, Fitzgerald said.

The EPA worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the land, and Los Angeles County Parks, which had leased the land from the Army Corps. The EPA signed a temporary agreement to use the storage area on Jan. 21 and started storing collected materials at the site on Monday, according to Drabek.

The agency took samples of the site to determine pre-existing conditions. To protect the environment, the agency has lined all of the processing areas with plastic and installed protective measures to contain any waste. The EPA also plans to conduct air monitoring and have a water truck spray the site three times a day to control dust.

“All materials will be transported safely from the burn area to the staging area following Department of Transportation standards to protect our water, land, and air,” Drabek said via email.

The foundation of a chimney remains after its residence was destroyed in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 16, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

According to Fitzgerald, the materials—such as pesticides, propane tanks, and lithium-ion batteries—will be removed in the first 30 days from the burned properties.

Specialized teams will handle the lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, solar energy systems, and other objects and crush them before transporting them. This will remove the risk of fire or explosion, Fitzgerald said.

“We successfully did this in Maui,” she said. “[Maui] was the first time we had such a large amount of batteries.”

The agency does not plan to store ash or other debris at the site, Fitzgerald said. However, the materials could remain at the location for several months as crews package the material and ship it to permitted facilities.

The staging area is necessary as a first step to help residents of the Eaton Fire start to recover, according to the agency.

Duarte city spokesman Andres Rangel said the EPA has since reached out to city officials.

“The City visited the site on Monday ... and got a briefing from the site manager,” Rangel told The Epoch Times via email. “The City is currently in communication with its neighboring Cities to explore next steps. The City’s current main focus is to ensure that the community’s concerns are addressed by the EPA.”

Duarte city councilors unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the site Tuesday.