State Parks OK’s EPA Collection Site At PCH/Temescal, LA City Council Member Feels Burned

The EPA’s next temporary hazmat collection site will go the the big parking lot on PCH at Temescal Canyon Road.

And the LA city council member who represents west LA is -very- not happy.

70922 TRACI PARKS

“This obviously poses major concerns about potential impacts on our coastal environments. 

“I think there are a lot of questions and concerns about the lack of transparency and the lack of community engagement.”

No time for that … says a spokesman for  the federal Nevironmentla Protection Agency.

The agency is rushing to remove all of the burned hazardous materials from 7,000 properties in Malibu and Pacific Palisades … material that is feared to be leaching into the soil.

Rusty Harris-Bishop is the EPA spokesman:

70921 RUSTY HARRIS BISHOP

“I think, in an ideal world, with a lot of time, it would’ve been great to have public meetings and let people know because we are working on such a compressed timeline trying to get this finished. 

“You know those a lot of those nice to have engagements are just not really possible.” 

L A city council member Tracy Parks says the hazard of waves or other disruption is too great to put the hazmat collection depot on the beach.

Parks also says it is too dangerous to transfer the wrapped packages along the side of the ocean.

Even though its a parking lot that we  have never seen flood. 

The wrapped packages merely will be sorted and loaded into big trucks at the Pacific Palisades site. 

And the project will be over in 30 days. 

The original plan was to truck the wrapped hazmat material form LA 12 miles west … out to the vacant lot at Webb Way at Civic Center Way.

There, sort it.

Then, truck it back thru Malibu and Santa Monica to the 10 freeway. 

Malibu’s mayor is delighted that California State Parks gave permission to the EPA to use the Temescal Canyon Road lot. 

Mayor Doug Stewart says “it is an important step in ensuring hazardous materials are removed safely and efficiently, helping impacted residents move forward in rebuilding their homes… h told KBUU radio.

At the EPA … Steve Calanog is the deputy director for his this emergency.

He says the new transfer station at Temescal Canyon is a help … but..

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“It does help us … but my recollection is we have about 900 damaged parcels in Malibu … and that is the farthest west area.

As you know … Will Rogers (Temescal Canyon) is east of the Topanga disposal site. 

Back at LA City Hall … Tracy Parks is left fuming. 

70925 PARKS SPOUTTER

“ I don’t understand why if the waste is so toxic why are you transporting to the beach when the beach is already closed just from the runoff I think that there are opportunities to deal with this material in a contained environment in the burn zone rather than bringing this to another location at risk further environmental harm and contamination.”

Just where would that be?  And does the LA city council member realize that Temescal Canyon Road is the heart of the Palisades fire?

Unknown. 

Westside county supervisor Lindsey Horvath has stayed out o this dispute between Malibu and the City of LA.  

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“I want to thank public work staff for simultaneously overseeing the cleanup process with the EPA and with the US Army Corps of Engineers while also preparing Los Angeles county areas for rain.”

The comes the question … why the need to sort the waste???

Why not just load it into appropriate trucks at each burned property … and just haul it to the dumps in the desert?

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“Well, you know the answer to this.

“One, there is a tremendous amount of traffic.

“We would need so many trucks to do that, it would not be efficient or effective.

“It would delay our ability to quickly remove the hazardous materials from the damaged areas.

“It would just present a huge logistical challenge for us to take then on.

“it would be more efficient to consolidate the various waste streams that we do pull off … and then just ship them off.”

And in the middle of all … quite literally … in the middle between LA and Malibu … is the Topanga Beach waste sorting site.

And … the small group of people upset with the collection site on the banks of Topanga Creek,

It is already set up and operating, and it will not be shut down by the EPA.

Park said she had pushed for other government-owned properties, such as parking lots, to be used instead. She said she spoke with the governor’s office, FEMA and the EPA on Tuesday about the possibility of using the site and conveyed her concerns. But she said she was “not a decision maker” in this.

County To Examine What Needs To Be Spent On Malibu’s Water System

The performance of Malibu’s water system during the recent fires should be reviewed by an independent expert … says County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath.

She is calling for a performance review of Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29,  

That’s the county agency that delivers water to Malibu, Topanga Canyon and Sunset Mesa.

County public works director Mark Pestrella has touched off a small controversy … with public comments that Malibu has failed too support the waterworks district’s needs for new pipes and new tanks. 

Pestrella has gently .. but publicly complained … that Malibu has failed to get behind his priority list of construction… a construction list which may top $50 million.

Pestrella has told KBUU News that he feels Malibuiis using its poor water system as a way to control growth.

Malibu officials have pushed back … they said the city has never done that. 

The facts may be somewhat in the middle. 

Malibu’s planning commission has thrown up roadblocks to a proposed new water tank on Busch Drive … near Malibu High School …

But the city council has been very supportive of fixing major water line problems… particularly in the Encinal Canyon area.

Horvath says Malibu deserves a full accounting of how our water system performed during the unprecedented Palisades Fire.

But beyond that… She wants to identify system improvements suggested by Pella in past years… And analyze how to pay for those … and analyze administrative, environmental, and permitting challenges that may have delayed infrastructure projects.

Horvath wants a a consultant for an independent after-action report on the fires.

And she wants details on the status of planned water system improvements, including project timelines and reasons for any delays.

Fires In Altadena, Palisades and Malibu May Cost $164 Billion, Biggest Natural Disaster Since Katrina

Economic losses from the fires that ripped into Malibu and across Altadena range from $95 billion to $164 billion.

A new UCLA report notes that 29 people were killed and 11 thousand houses were destroyed. 

This would be potentially the second-costliest natural disaster in US history … just behind Hurricane Katrina.

Insured losses are estimated to top $75 billion, according to the report released Tuesday by University of California at Los Angeles economist  Zhiyun Li and William Yu.

They estimate that the disaster will reduce LA’s gross domestic product by $4.6 billion, or about 0.5%, in 2025.

The UCLA economists’ highest estimate … 164 billion dollars … is more than three times the size of the LA County government annual budget

The most expensive California wildfire was the 2018 Camp Fire, which cost an estimated $30 billion.

The fires also bring costs such as the health impacts from pollution and toxic waste generated by the burns, a decline in business activity and a population exodus.

Preventing more disasters may require additional expenses, such as spending on improved firefighting technology, better forest and water management, upgrading utility infrastructure and subsidizing home hardening, the report concluded.

Not to mention all those people raking the forest.

Frequent Closure Of PCH May Cost Malibu Extra On Schools Project

The Santa Monica Malibu school board meeting for tonight has been shifted back to Santa Monica.

Officials in Santa Monica have balked at the 47 mile drive … one way … out to Malibu High School via the 405 Freeway.

Welcome to our world … says Malibu.

Locals can watch the meeting on the Zoom software .. at 6 o’clock the district staff will update the school board on the effect of this winter fires and storms.

The primary impact has been and continues to be the closure of Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu.

School district officials warn more money may be needed … on emergency contracts … to provide emergency power, make repairs due to the wind, replace destroyed equipment, purchase IT, Maintenance and learning materials, and other various solutions.

The continued closures for Pacific Coast Highway may cost the district more money in its existing and future contracts for Malibu, high school and Malibu middle school… Both of which are in the middle of reconstruction contracts.

That discussion is scheduled to take place at 6 o’clock tonight… Not in Malibu.

Samohi Teacher Charged With Misdemeanors For Improper Relationship With Student

A Santa Monica High School science teacher was arrested yesterday for allegedly having an “inappropriate relationship” with a 16-year-old student.

Santa Monica police say 58 year-old Ingo Horst Gaida of Los Angeles was arrested after School District officials discovered the science teacher was allegedly engaged in inappropriate activities with the girl in the past month. 

Gaida had taught science at Samohi for 32 years. 

“The incidents took place in multiple locations throughout Los Angeles County,” police said.

Santa Monica uniformed and undercover officers arrested Gaida yesterday. 

He was booked for annoying or molesting a child under 18 and contributing to the delinquency of minor, both misdemeanors.

District officials said they reported their concerns about the alleged inappropriate conduct “as soon as it was brought to the attention of administration.

It is not clear why misdemeanor charges have been filed … instead of felonies. 

The district says it “takes allegations of this nature seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement on this investigation.”

More Rain Tonight, Another Rain Storm May Hit Next Wed

A series of Pacific storm systems will move over the region through Friday … but today will see drizzle or light rain.

Stronger rain tonight.

Dry weather is expected over the weekend into early next week … and it will be cool.

Another storm is expected around the middle of next week.

Some of the forecasts says it will be very very wet … 5 inches of rain. 

But most of the computer runs are in the 2 to 3 inches of rain area for next week.