Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, and Baldwin Park city leaders have joined together to oppose federal plans to treat and dump the hazardous trash from the Eaton Fire in Lario Park.
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to prepare the site at 15701 E. Foothill Boulevard, spill control measures are being implemented, and air quality operations will be monitored as early as next week, the announcement was made.
Despite this, city officials contend that they were not consulted or given advance warning, which has sparked worries about the issue’s possible effects on the environment and its close proximity to inhabitants.
“While the cities are completely in solidarity with our neighboring communities, we are extremely disappointed with the lack of respect to our local residents for not being notified of the EPA’s cleanup efforts and having toxic materials transported to our backyards,” according to a statement released by the city of Duarte Monday.
Hilda Solis, the local representative for Los Angeles County, had some worries about the EPA’s ruling on Monday as well. In a statement, she mentioned these worries as well as the fact that, because the project is taking place on federal property, the federal agency has jurisdiction over the issue and its decisions take precedence over municipal ones.
“The removal of these materials should not come at the cost of creating a toxic environment for communities already disproportionately impacted by pollution,” said Solis in a statement.
Rep. Gil Cisneros and other local leaders accompanied her team on their Monday morning visit to the park. As recovery operations proceed, she encouraged federal agencies to keep the constituents updated.
Last Monday, the agreement was changed to remove the county from the lease and control. Previously, the land was leased to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation for the operation of the park.
According to officials, the EPA and USACE are solely in charge of the daily operations at Lario Park as of last Wednesday.
According to the EPA, in order to reduce the visible emissions, they will regularly use a water truck for dust suppression. They will also post-sample the site to make sure that the debris—which includes lithium electric car batteries and other potentially hazardous materials—does not have any negative effects.
According to EPA officials, the garbage will be transported to the site every day, processed in the proper area, and packaged for shipping before being shipped to another place for disposal.
Trucks will take back roads rather than the I-210 Freeway to deliver the supplies to Lario Park.
They claim that only trucks authorized by the US Department of Transportation will be permitted to deliver the waste to its designated disposal sites after it has been prepared for export or disposal.
The coalition of local municipal officials intends to fight for the staging ground’s closure as soon as feasible, according to Duarte city leaders, notwithstanding those measures. To arrange a town hall meeting where locals may voice their concerns, they have started coordinating their efforts with Senator Susan Rubio’s office.
Anyone with concerns is encouraged to call (833) 798-7372, according to the EPA.