The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) estimates that around 4.5 million tons of ash and debris need to be removed from the Palisades and Eaton burn scars. Property owners for 13,200 structures opted into the free federal cleanup program, and as of April 24, workers have cleared 20.9%.
That debris — some of it toxic — has to go somewhere. The following map represents the 18 landfills and recycling facilities where the USACE says they are taking it.
This map shows the landfills and recycling centers where fire debris is going, based on information provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Graphic by Darius Johari/KCRW.
Here is a list of debris disposal sites by county. Graphic by Darius Johari/KCRW.
It takes the Army Corps approximately three days to remove debris from a property. The process begins with the cleanup team testing the site for asbestos. If debris tests positive, it goes to a landfill in Azusa that’s permitted to handle the toxin.
If they don’t detect asbestos, then the Army Corps and its contractors separate the debris: metal from cars, concrete from foundations, and wood from trees go to recycling centers, while the remaining debris and six inches of topsoil are transported to landfills in Simi Valley, Calabasas, Sylmar, and Corona.
These landfills are lined, which is an important layer of protection for groundwater. They typically handle only household trash and construction debris, but due to emergency orders signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, they can now accept potentially hazardous fire ash — a common practice after fire disasters in California.
Here is where different types of debris are headed:
Asbestos-containing material
Azusa Landfill
Fire debris
Simi Valley Landfill
Sunshine Canyon Landfill
Calabasas Landfill
El Sobrante Landfill
Soil
Simi Valley Landfill
Sunshine Canyon Landfill
Calabasas Landfill
El Sobrante Landfill
Wood
Simi Valley Landfill
Calabasas Landfill
Core Tree North Hills
Core Tree Evergreen Recycling
Core Tree Ecology Wood
Core Tree Viramontes Express
Metal
SA Recycling - Oxnard
SA Recycling - Sun Valley
SA Recycling - LA
SA Recycling - Irwindale
SA Recycling - El Monte
AIM Global - Colton
AIM Global - Santa Fe