Heal the Bay strongly disagrees with the selection of State land in close proximity to Topanga Creek and Lagoon as the US EPA’s Palisades Fire hazardous material staging area, where materials will be sorted and repackaged before they are sent to permitted waste collection facilities. The site chosen is an area of cultural and ecological significance, and we stand with the surfers, swimmers, and local communities concerned about the potential for harm to this precious ecosystem.

UPDATE: February 26, 2025 -The first phase of removing wildfire debris is over. What happens to those collection sites?  (Daily News)

UPDATE: February 12, 2025 – Heal the Bay’s Associate Director of Science and Policy, Annelisa Moe, toured the EPA hazardous waste sorting and storage sites at Topanga Creek and Will Rogers State Beach with Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, the EPA, and FEMA.

UPDATE: January 31, 2025 – Initial Takeaways from the EPA Hazardous Waste Site at Topanga Beach & FAQ (below)

For the record, Heal the Bay was NOT consulted on the site selection ahead of time. 

Soon after we learned about the site selection, we asked to meet with US EPA officials to express our concerns and learn what measures were being taken to protect Topanga Creek and Lagoon. That meeting occurred on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.

At our meeting with EPA, we learned that operations have already begun on the Topanga site, reducing the likelihood that we can get EPA & FEMA to select a different location (although we still pushed). Between the Palisades and Eaton fires, this is the largest operation the EPA emergency response team has had to clean up since they began this work in 2015. In addition, they have been tasked by the current Federal Administration to complete the work in 30 days, a time constraint that has left the region with few options.

We are fighting to ensure that the EPA implements sufficient measures to prevent contaminants from coming into contact with the bare soils or leaving the site and impacting critical waterways. In addition to what the EPA has proposed (see EPA’s FAQ), Heal the Bay asks for water testing in Topanga Creek and Lagoon. We have also asked to be permitted access to the site to observe operations and the implementation of measures meant to prevent harmful chemicals from leaving the site. We are waiting to hear back on both of these.

Although we strongly disagree with the site EPA and FEMA have chosen, speedy removal of hazardous wastes from the burn areas IS ESSENTIAL. Right now, the hazardous waste in the burn areas is uncontained and exposed to the elements, with almost no measures in place to prevent it from being blown by the wind or entering our ocean when it rains again. There are no good choices here, but in our opinion, hazardous materials left exposed at burned structures pose a greater threat to water quality and ecosystem health than they will at an EPA sorting site where multiple containment measures are in place. If the EPA will not or cannot move the hazardous waste staging area from the Topanga location, we demand that they take extra precautions to prevent stormwater from running onto the site, contaminated runoff from leaving the site, and contaminated dust from being blown from the site into waterways. Please join us in asking for water quality sampling to be added to the BMP protocol.

Here are the biggest takeaways from our meeting with the EPA:

What does the EPA look for in a staging site?  

• When looking for a hazardous material staging site, the EPA team needs at least five acres of flat land located near a roadway suitable for trucks to enter and exit.  
• The EPA could not start cleaning efforts until a space was selected and prepared. 

Why was Topanga Lagoon chosen as the site location? 

• EPA did recon with Cal Fire, and the Topanga Lagoon site met the basic logistical requirements for space and access. The state approved EPA use of the Topanga location. 
• According to the EPA, other proposed sites were either rejected by City of LA and LA County officials or already used by other emergency response teams.  
• Heal the Bay has requested a list of other sites considered by the EPA.  

Will additional locations be needed to remove all of the hazardous waste entirely? 

• For the Palisades Fire response, EPA anticipates the need for more staging areas, maybe an additional 25 acres. 
• The EPA is currently searching for other staging areas, and Heal the Bay has requested to be part of that decision-making process. 

What has taken place on the site to date? 

• The property was burned, so EPA cleared it of burned debris, then built berms around it and added straw wattles to prevent water from entering or leaving the site.  
• Secondary containment and plastic lining have been implemented to prevent direct contact of hazardous materials with the soils on site. 
• The EPA took soil samples before the cleanup activity commenced and will sample again once the cleanup activity is complete.  (NOTE: Heal the Bay has requested a list of contaminants tested to ensure the sampling plan is sufficient).  
• The cleanup team monitors the air for particulates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radiation, and wind indicators for weather tracking. 
• The cleanup team has started electric car battery recovery for the Palisades area, de-energizing them in the Topanga staging area to be recycled.  

What safety precautions will EPA take to protect the environment? 

• See EPA FAQ 
• Heal the Bay asked about additional BMPs (Best Management Practices) for the expected rain. EPA Public Information Officer Rusty Harris-Bishop has agreed to update us as more information becomes available. 
• Heal the Bay has also requested that the EPA conduct water quality monitoring in the nearby creek and Lagoon.  
• The EPA has explained that they have not had any issues with staging areas in past emergencies, including the Lahaina fires. 

When will they start accepting hazardous waste? 

• As of January 30, they have already started collecting lithium-ion batteries (from electric cars). 
• Larger-scale work is scheduled to begin January 31, 2025. 

When will they be done? 

• This is a temporary staging area, and although the Palisades Fire was an unprecedented event, the plan is for the site work to be completed by the end of February 2025 (30 days).  

Where will the hazardous waste be sent? 

• Materials are taken to the staging area to sort and re-pack for final shipping to permitted hazardous waste facilities that are in good standing.  
• The facilities have not been determined yet.  
• Determining specific locations will depend on what the EPA team finds and how much material is collected. Still, our understanding is that the waste will likely be transported out of state. 

Can EPA move the staging to another location? 

• Attempting to move locations would cause delays in removing the hazardous waste from within the burn zone where it is currently exposed to the elements, which is the biggest concern. 

What is more dangerous to the environment: Creating the staging area near an ecologically sensitive area or slowing removal? 

• Slowing down removal is likely more dangerous for the environment because there are few measures to prevent the waste in the burn areas from entering waterways and the ocean. 

Is the EPA planning to test the water quality? 

• No water quality testing is planned. 

Does Heal the Bay have water quality testing recommendations?

• Yes, our Water Quality Team recommends that the EPA test for the following:  
  • Chronic and Acute Toxicity  
  • Basic water quality parameters (e.g., turbidity, pH, dissolved Oxygen, and temperature) 
  • Total Suspended Solids 
  • Heavy Metals (e.g., lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium and cadmium) 
  • Volatile organic compounds  (e.g., Benzene) 
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) 
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 
  • Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 
  • Oil and Grease 
  • Total Organic Carbon 
  • FIB (i.e., E. coli, total coliforms, and enterococcus) 
  • Dioxins 
  • Ammonium 
  • Phosphates 
  • Sulfates 
  • Asbestos 
  • Microplastics 
  • Radionuclides 

Has the EPA started a cleanup operation in response to the Eaton Fire? 

• They have started cleanup operations in Eaton.