More rain is on the way to SoCal, and residents living near Will Rogers State Beach – which has been chosen as a Palisades Fire toxic waste processing site – are worried the precipitation will cause toxic runoff to end up in the ocean.
Protests erupted when it was announced that the beach parking lot would serve as a hazardous waste collection location, but state officials claimed they chose the area because it’s a flat, open space that is near the damaged homes.
“The parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach will serve as a temporary site for household hazardous materials collected and transported from nearby properties to be consolidated, securely packaged, and safely loaded for transportation to a permanent disposal or recycling facility outside of the area,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated last week. “This location is suitable because it is flat, open land close to damaged properties that require debris removal.”
However, it’s proximity to the coast is causing worry for area residents and elected officials, including Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents much of Los Angeles’ Westside.
“We understand the need to get this material up and off the ground and out of the area is urgent,” Park told the Westside Current. “But we have to do this in a way that is responsible and does not cause further harm to our ecosystems, especially our sensitive marine environments … if they put this at the beach, one high tide or king tide could wash it right out to the ocean.”
This week’s storm system comes on the heels of another pair of storms that brought considerable rainfall to SoCal and caused debris flows along Pacific Coast Highway, which has been shut down between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu.
More rain is on the way to SoCal, and residents living near Will Rogers State Beach – which has been chosen as a Palisades Fire toxic waste processing site – are worried the precipitation will cause toxic runoff to end up in the ocean. Protests erupted when it was announced that the beach parking lot […]
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