Calabasas In Court Today, Seeking To Block Malibu Fire Debris From Dump

Calabasas activists have a court hearing today … on their request for a court order to block Malibu fire debris from being dumped at the county landfill in Calabasas.

The county saniattion district’s Lost Hills Landfill is the only licensed disposal area for fire debris in western L A County.

Without it … trucks will have to haul Malibu fire debris across LA to dumps in inland areas ….causing enormous delays in clearing the Malibu and Palisade fire debris.

The Calabasas dump is lined with plastic … water is collected and cleaned … and there is no blowing dust.

But some people who live in nearby subdivisions view it as a dire threat to life. 

And the City of Calabasas has sued LA County.

In Malibu … Army Corps of engineers Col.Eric Swenson tells KBUU… this will delay debris removal. 

70996 TRO IMPACT 

“Well, any any loss of access to a landfill that’s permanented to take fire action debris when we’re in the midst of the largest urban wildfire that the core has done on behalf of the state of California would impact our operations.”

But Calabass officials blame the Army for not telling them weeks in advance, that Malibu and Palisades fire debris would be taken to the Calabasas landfill. 

City council memewbr Alisha Weintraub expressed surprise that the dump would be used for fire debris … despite the fact that the dump has accepted similar fire debris from Calabasas and the entire region … for years. 

She spoke at a forum of worried citizens last weekend.

70998 WEINTRAUB SHOCKED 

“The way that this has come about, we do not have confidence that non-all the material that will be brought to the landfill is non-hazardous.

“We were not made aware of land of debris coming to the landfill until January 25 ,and it took many days to get confirmation .

“At our council meeting on February 12, we were really blindsided by the Army engineer, telling us that debris would be coming the following Monday.”

In essence, the Calabasas politician declared she was shocked … shocked … that a dump with its own freeway exit in the middle of Calabasas was being used as a dump.

Even the judge in Los Angeles on Friday said he was wondering why Calabasas waited until two weeks after it found out about the debris heading to the dump … to file a legal objection.  Perhaps not coincidentally … the city council there waited until citizen unhappiness grew and grew … and people started standing in front of dump trucks to block fire debris. 

The fact that the Calabasas dump has been accepting fire debris for 50 years … under its license and its strict water pollution and dust controls … could not have been a secret.

Even the judge in LA was somewhat incredulous … at Friday’s court hearing … the judge questioned the Calabasas legal team about the timing of their suit.

According to the Acorn newspaper … the first indication that the landfill might be used for fire debris came on Jan. 27, according to the city’s own petition.

“That’s four weeks ago, that’s a lifetime in litigation,” Goorvitch said, according to the newspaper. 

“Why did you wait so long? Why is this not an emergency of your own making, counsel?”

Back in Malibu … Colonel Ericson says any delay at the dump is a delay clearing debris from Malibu and Palisades.

And that uncontained stuff is washing into the ocean … and blowing into the air.

And he is still trying to get the message out … people living next to debris disposal sites are not threatened. 

70997 ARMY GOAL

“We are continuing to work with the communities around all the landfills to provide them to educate them on our program to answer their questions.

“Ultimately, we need access to all available landfills that are permitted to take fire action debris so that we can do our job as quickly as possible.

“And that is that is our goal in our mission and our commitment t communities, but also to the survivors who lost everything.”

The hearing will be at 1 o’clock this afternoon at the Stanley Mosk courthouse … at Hill and Temple streets in Los Angeles. 

First Burned House Is Scraped Away From La Costa Beach, Officials Congratulate Army For Record Time

The first burned house in Malibu has been scrapped away

It’s not clear where the first truckloads of debris from Malibu were taken.

The Army says it dod  not get trucked to the nearest dump … in Calabasas.

But over the weekend … local officials celebrated the first scraped lot … on La Coast Beach just west of Duke’s restaurant. 

It took six weeks from the fire to get the lot clear … lightning speed compared to past fires in Malibu and elsewhere. 

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA are moving with rapid speed … so fats that county supervisors in Northern California fire areas are really surprised. 

70993 THANKS HORVATH 

“They have never seen this kind of coordination this kind of swift movement and that is what is allowing us to work together for your benefit so I wanna thank you. You have delivered on your end and it’s our responsibility to deliver for you.”

Mark Pestrella has worked in Malibu for 35 years … in one form or another … for the LA County Department of Public Works. 

Now he heads the department.

70994 CYCLE PESTRELLA 

“The Malibu impacts have been incredibly large, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, so many people displaced. 

“It took out nearly 1/3 of the cities infrastructure in homes. Lost historic homes along PCH. 

“And then as usual as can be expected, we had the mud and debrief flow event as well. Through all the years we know that has pretty much been the cycle of the fire and we have the debrief flow.”

Also taking a bit of a victory lap on Saturday was Malib city councilwoman Marianne Riggins.

70999 RIGGINS RECOVERY

“Whether it is streamlining the permanent process advocating for resources, ensuring transparency in the recovery effort we are here for you. 

“Today is a reminder of the progress is happening, but it is also a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do.

“With each cleared property with each home or business rebuilds Malibu is not recovering. 

“It is putting the pieces of our lives back together.”

Marianne Riggins is the mayor pro term on the Malibu city council. 

Ugly Beach Bathtub Ring Has (Small Amounts) of Heavy Metals, PCBs, Plastics, Pesticides, Volatile Organic Compounds and Pesticides

Health officials have tested the bathtub rings of ash and gunk coating beaches from Malibu to Redondo Beach after the fires.

And they say it may be ugly .. but the levels of bad chemicals in the debris are below levels that would characterize the debris as hazardous waste. 

Initial testing by the Department of Public Works found low levels of bad stuff.

Things like heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenol (PCBs), volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and asbestos turned up.

But not in hazardous levels. 

The county says the best course of action is to let the bathtub ring sit in the sn and decompose.

“Attempting to scrape it from rocks and sand could destroy marine habitats, erode the shoreline, and cause long-term environmental damage,” the department said in a statement.

“Instead, natural tides and weather will gradually break down and wash away the sediment, allowing the ecosystem to recover naturally.”

It’s a different story … however … for the big chunks of fire debris bobbing around inn the ocean.

Charred debris from the wildfires—including large wood pieces, construction materials, and items with sharp edges or nails—has been found as far south as Redondo Beach.

 Beach maintenance crews are removing the debris as it washes up; however, beachgoers should watch where they step and avoid any debris they find.

Heal The Bay says “risk tolerance is a deeply personal choice and right now the limited data that has been shared hasn’t identified concentrations of contaminants that pose a health risk,

Tracy Quinn, president of the environmental nonprofit Health the Bay. “I personally will be waiting until additional lab results are back before getting in the water between Santa Monica State Beach and Dockweiler.”

14 Sea Lions Wash Up With Domoic Acid Poisoning In  4 Days

Demoic acid is back in the ocean water off Malibu … and sick sea lions are back on the local beaches.

The toxic ocean algae is eaten by fish … which are eaten by sea lions … who haul out on Malibu beaches with in severe distress. 

The California Wildlife Center said over the weekend that it had received 14 calls in four days for sea lions in distress.

The toxic chemical can damage the animals’ brain and heart, even in low doses.”

Affected sea lions may have seizures, display a craning head motion known as “stargazing” and may appear highly lethargic or in comatose states.

The California Wildlife Center says these animals are suffering and confused.

And they may lunge and bite without warning.

The recent rains may have dumped nutrients into the ocean … elevating the levels of the algae that carry the poison into the food chain. 

Bicyclist Killed After Hitting Rock On Side Of PCH Near Pt Mugu

A bicyclist was killed Saturday morning on Pacific Coast Highway .. near the giant sand dume in Ventura County.

No name has been released. 

The bicyclist reportedly suddenly turned into traffic and was struck by a westbound vehicle .. hat had been traveling at 55 mph according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Highway Patrol was still investigating why the abrupt move put the bicyclist into oncoming traffic.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the bicyclist had been traveling with a pack of seven or eight people.

No citations were issued as the incident is still under investigation… The CP said.

Pepperdine Sues Netflix For Appropriating School’s Identity

Pepperdine University has sued Netflix and Warner Bros. Entertainment for trademark infringement, with the California Christian institution asserting that the upcoming comedy series “Running Point” uses its branding without authorization.

Pepperdine filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California last week, seeking an injunction to block further use of its marks and to recover damages.

The university contends that Netflix’s promotion of “Running Point,” scheduled to premiere next week and starring Kate Hudson, improperly appropriates Pepperdine’s name, its team moniker “Waves,” the color scheme of blue and orange and references to 1937, the year the institution was founded.

University representatives say they contacted Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery on multiple occasions to resolve the issue. However, the defendants allegedly refused to halt promotional activities or modify the show’s use of the disputed trademarks.

Santa Clarita Woman Wearing ‘Palisades Strong’ Shirt Arrested For Looting Palisades Home

A Santa Clarita woman was tracked down wearing a “Palisades Strong” t-shirt has been arrested on suspicion of looting a home in Pacific Palisades that was severely damaged by the Palisades Fire, authorities announced on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol’s West Valley Area office were notified at about 1 p.m. Friday of looting occurring at a residence in Pacific Palisades. They responded to the scene but were unable to locate the suspect.

The victim provided a detailed description of the suspect and her vehicle, which officers determined was registered to an address in Valencia, the CHP said.

Officers from the CHP’s Newhall Area Office responded to the address and arrested the suspect, who allegedly was found in possession of antique items stolen from the residence.

She was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and booked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita Valley station.

McClary On Agenda Again At 4:45 Today

The Malibu city council meets tonight … starting at 4:45 with an executive session to talk about the city manager. 

Steve McClary has been on leave since early December. 

The city council will also debate lawsuits that it might file … or that it might receive … although no details have been released on those.

We’ve reported last week on several fire related issues that are also coming up.