topic Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL in Community Chat

LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:11:24 GMT

Honestly ..... I hope I'm over-reacting.

It now looks like the hazardous waste cleanup could be even more dangerous than the actual fires!

There will be billions of "toxic waste micro-particles" in the air for months, until the debris removal has been completed. And perhaps beyond, unless the winds push them east.

We're getting a little rain this week, so it will help clean our air, for a brief time.

I'm already hearing that the community surrounding the Eaton fire is very upset about the air quality during debris removal, and it has only recently begun.

(Does anyone know where all this debris will be taken?)

Apparently, there will be days when residents are told to please stay home unless they really need to be out ... and that might go on for several weeks.

I'm worried about what this will do to our wildlife .... especially bees and birds.

What about family pets?

First thing to come to mind ..... I put several masks in a Ziploc bag and put them in my glove compartment.

Any thoughts and all suggestions are welcome ... TIA

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Oznell — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:27:32 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 , I really feel for the struggles you are having in L.A., and have been concerned about the air quality. I think you're very smart to have masks at hand for the next several months. Is your local Health Department offering specific guidance for residents?

It does make you feel helpless. I had the same concern about the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, when they experienced that contamination which couldn't be contained, and they had no choice but to live through the aftermath.

Take care, and keep a close tab on your state and city directives, which I'm sure you are already doing. Sending a prayer for all residents, wildlife and pets.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

qbetzforreal — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:35:33 GMT

Waste is going to sites in Malibu and Duarte/Azusa. @Tinkrbl44

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

ROMARY — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:40:38 GMT

Just thinking about all of the plastic furniture, and plastic in just about everything, also microwaves, TV's, electronics, etc.

So many non-natural materials now-a-days.

Cars and car parts, gasoline tanks, etc.

All we can do is wish for good luck in this devistating matter.

Good health and good luck to the residents, young babies and children, pets, wildlife.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Oznell — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:50:00 GMT

Another thing occurred to me. One recommendation I read was to use a HEPA air purifier. I wonder if it would be much help in this context of toxic waste in the air... I'm guessing that every little bit helps-- staying indoors whenever possible, wearing mask, limiting strenuous outdoor activity.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Kachina624 — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:32:03 GMT

My question would be, where are they going to put it all? There must be enough debris to build a new mountain somewhere. I wouldn't want it anywhere near me.

I imagine the removal will be on-going for a long time, months and months. I hope they require trucks removing it be tarp-covered. There may be friable asbestos that should be handled very carefully under OSHA guidelines.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

CelticCrafter — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:36:31 GMT

Hopefuly lessons were learned from the way the WTC was handled.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

OneHappyHiker — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:17:52 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 Our prayers are always with all of you suffering this devastation. I would definitely be at my local govt sites and email or call to find out exactly where advice needs to come. I can only think about (edited) East Palestine, Ohio (when people were told it was fine to be in that water, until someone reported that slick in the water when stirred), Love Canal, WTC, etc. and what was learned from those experiences. I would definitely use masks and gloves and clothes I wear out in the area would be kept for going out, not around in the house, in case particles of toxins are picked up along the way. Our PT neighbor did that during Covid... she had clothes relegated to only wearing to the hospital. She would take them off in the mudroom, they would go directly to the laundry, and she would have separate indoor clothes.

Pets. Birds and bees. My gosh. My heart would want to shelter them from any harm, but I don't know where it would be safe to walk pets or for birds and bees to flutter about. They are the littlest creatures and perhaps you could call your vet to ask for advice about pets and food for birds. I mean what will bees do with no plants? If there is standing water around, is that safe? This is just horrible.

We need to keep this front and center and make sure we don't do more harm than good, so you are right to worry. I hope you get some solid answers soon.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

shoekitty — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 02:01:55 GMT

@Oznell I bought my granddaughter one a stron, good one. Covers 1500 ft.. she lives near tinkerbl44. I worry about her air . But, my adult granddaughter has asthma when triggered by cold, which she had when fires started. She never goes outside without a mask and wouldn't take her 1 year old son out for 3 weeks. Agencies advised to keep kids in, and have masks when they go out. The fire came close to them within 1 mile, but smoke was in. Rain is due today or tomorrow, although it would clear smoke from 2 fires still burning, I wonder about all that crud being wet too Weird, cause I went to visit a week ago, and both my husband and I came home with cold like symptoms, no fever, aches and such. Just congestions, running plugged nose

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

shoekitty — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 02:09:10 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 I found this on a website, before some was taken down on EPA site

The most toxic hazardous waste will be removed in the first phase of the cleanup, WHICH IS OVERSEEN BY. EPA. The materials removed in this phase include lithium electric vehicles batteries, pesticides, and propane tanks.

Residents cannot opt out of this phase, according to Mark Pestrella, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. The mandatory cleaning is necessary to remove materials that are harmful to health and could also pose a risk of explosion, paccording to EPA OFFICIALS. They must be removed before other debris.

The toxic waste will be stored in two temporary locations: waste from the Eaton Fire will go to Lario Park in Irwindale, and waste from the Palisades Fire will go to an undisclosed site in Malibu, according to the EPA. The agency expects to complete PHASE ONE CLEANING in 30 days. There is more, and specifics, if you cue it in now. Some night be removed on national site. But I am sure California site will still have report and instructions. How you doing?

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Mz iMac — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:26:07 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 What's different w/this fire that has not occurred w/all the past fires Cally gets every year?

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

qbetzforreal — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 06:05:16 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 What's different w/this fire that has not occurred w/all the past fires Cally gets every year?

@Mz iMac- I'm in LA. Fires are usually in the rural areas of the state.

These fires effected a neighborhood (Palisades) and a city (Altadena), both are near brush areas.

January is typically rainy and damp. It wasn't this year. While we have to contend with the Santa Ana winds, they usually come around March.

Dry and high winds not a good combination.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

qbetzforreal — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 06:12:34 GMT

@monicakm wrote:
@Mz iMac

Does California have residential fires of this magnitude every year?

Not in the LA. In the country and rural. There was the Paradise fire in Northern California in 2018 and the 2020 fires in Napa and Sonoma counties No Cal.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Cakers3 — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:28:14 GMT

@qbetzforreal wrote:
Waste is going to sites in Malibu and Duarte/Azusa. @Tinkrbl44

@qbetzforreal @Tinkrbl44 Lario Park in Irwindale is being used as atemporary site for sorting and preparing the waste for transportation.

Where is the final destination???

I have not seen anything about Malibu but I believe the Duarte/Azusa areas are about the residents concerned about Lario Park nearby, not that the waste is being transported to Duarte/Azusa areas.

The residents were never told Lario Park would be used as a temporary site.

Even as a temporary site air quality and seepage into ground water is very concerning.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Cakers3 — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:42:45 GMT

Long term effects are yet to be seen. This is a horrendous tragedy.

Anytime these disasters happen cleanups are at the forefront of concern but when will we know how people, animals, and nature will survive later on?

Palestine OH is still dealing with health issues two years later and those issues are the ones that are known.

How long did it take for Love Canal to be declared "safe" to be rebuilt?

I fear for everyone affected by these tragedies because although they are at the forefront of suffering, in the end we are all affected when Mother Earth is harmed.

People will forget as time passes but years to come will be the proof that nobody is safe from environmental disasters.

It's troubling.😞

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

CalminHeart — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 12:23:00 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Honestly ..... I hope I'm over-reacting.

It now looks like the hazardous waste cleanup could be even more dangerous than the actual fires!

There will be billions of "toxic waste micro-particles" in the air for months, until the debris removal has been completed. And perhaps beyond, unless the winds push them east.

We're getting a little rain this week, so it will help clean our air, for a brief time.

I'm already hearing that the community surrounding the Eaton fire is very upset about the air quality during debris removal, and it has only recently begun.

(Does anyone know where all this debris will be taken?)

Apparently, there will be days when residents are told to please stay home unless they really need to be out ... and that might go on for several weeks.

I'm worried about what this will do to our wildlife .... especially bees and birds.

What about family pets?

First thing to come to mind ..... I put several masks in a Ziploc bag and put them in my glove compartment.

Any thoughts and all suggestions are welcome ... TIA

KN95 masks are probably the best you can do. I'm so sorry for all that Californians are going through. I'm sure it's tougher than most think.

Do you have a good air purifier in your home? I do and have it set to run every night for 6 hours.

I wondered about air quality. Air moves west to east and I actually wondered how it would affect the rest of the country.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Isobel Archer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:05:44 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Honestly ..... I hope I'm over-reacting.

It now looks like the hazardous waste cleanup could be even more dangerous than the actual fires!

There will be billions of "toxic waste micro-particles" in the air for months, until the debris removal has been completed. And perhaps beyond, unless the winds push them east.

We're getting a little rain this week, so it will help clean our air, for a brief time.

I'm already hearing that the community surrounding the Eaton fire is very upset about the air quality during debris removal, and it has only recently begun.

(Does anyone know where all this debris will be taken?)

Apparently, there will be days when residents are told to please stay home unless they really need to be out ... and that might go on for several weeks.

I'm worried about what this will do to our wildlife .... especially bees and birds.

What about family pets?

First thing to come to mind ..... I put several masks in a Ziploc bag and put them in my glove compartment.

Any thoughts and all suggestions are welcome ... TIA

That's exacty why all the "environmental" opposition to cleaning up the forests and other debris, the insistence on sending the water to the Pacific rather than saving it to fight fires, etc. etc. end up doing more harm than good. First in the loss of lives - and now at the actual cost to the environment of the result of the fires.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Isobel Archer — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:04:40 GMT

Will be interesting to see who gets the contracts to "clean up the toxic waste." Follow the money. Who says "saving the environment" can't be profitable?

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

Tinkrbl44 — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:04:47 GMT

On top of that CA has been having a drought, which was only slightly relieved last year.

Now, farms still aren't getting enough water for crops.

Well, if there are suddenly no workers to pick any crops, food may rot on the vine.

Good grief.

Re: LA FIRES - HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL

qbetzforreal — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 23:29:18 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
Will be interesting to see who gets the contracts to "clean up the toxic waste." Follow the money. Who says "saving the environment" can't be profitable?

@Isobel Archer- the EPA is responsible for the clean-up.