Calabasas landfill to continue receiving fire debris after judge rejects city’s efforts to halt disposal at site

CALABASAS, Calif. (CNS) — A judge Tuesday rejected a year-old effort by the city of Calabasas to prevent disposal of debris from the Palisades Fire at a landfill in the city, ruling that hazardous materials are being removed before debris is deposited at the facility.

Lawyers for the city maintained in their petition filed a year ago that the Calabasas Landfill is only certified to accept non-hazardous waste.

But in a 15-page ruling Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen I. Goorvitch denied the city’s effort to block fire debris from the facility, noting that the “city’s own testing results confirm that there were no elevated levels of lead, asbestos, hexavalent chromium, chloride, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins or airborne contaminants in the fire debris deposited at the landfill.”

The city contended that other materials such as cooper, zinc and other chemicals were present, creating environmental concerns.

But Goorvitch concluded that the defendants were complying with all of the requirements of their permits to deposit debris at the Calabasas Landfill.

“Every load of fire debris is remediated to remove hazardous wastes, which are depostied at other landfills authorized to accept hazardous waste,” the judge wrote. “The loads are inspected by the staff before being deposited into areas of the landfill underlain with engineered composite liners and leachate collection systems. The staff also confirms that each load is accompanied by a certification that it does not contain hazardous waste.”

On the city’s website, Calabasas officials issued a statement saying they are “disappointed with the court’s decision.”

“The city believes the ruling does not adequately reflect the serious concerns raised by the community, nor does it fully account for the city’s responsibility to protect public health, environmental resources and local quality of life,” according to the statement. “The City Council will meet at the next regularly scheduled council meeting to discuss the ruling and determine its next steps. Throughout this process, the city has fought vigorously for its residents and the surrounding neighbors. We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of the community remains among our top priorities.”

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents the area, issued a statement hailing the ruling.

“The court’s decision affirms the safety protections that guided Los Angeles County’s debris removal program, in partnership with the U.S. EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Horvath said. “Accountability remains central to our recovery, and we will continue to ensure essential protections are upheld to safeguard public health and the environment. I look forward to a strong partnership with the city of Calabasas, focused on supporting our communities, advancing recovery, and emergency preparedness.”