Environmentalists are raising concerns about wildfire debris that’s washed up on Los Angeles beaches, saying they’re skeptical of the county’s assurances that the shoreline is safe for people.
“This is an unprecedented event, and we must wait for the results of additional testing before declaring our beaches safe,” environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay warned residents Wednesday, telling them to stay off the sand.
The message comes a week after the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) said the debris ― charred matter from destroyed homes and businesses that washed into the oceans during January’s massive fires ― is “not hazardous to beachgoers or the environment” but that beachgoers should take steps to avoid large pieces of debris, as it “may be unstable, have sharp edges or contain nails.”
Those precautions should be stricter, Heal the Bay urged, saying it’s learned that the county’s determination “is likely based on only two debris samples”
“These samples were collected to determine the disposal method required to remove the debris, not to determine if it is safe for people to be on the sand. It is alarming that DPH would make this proclamation based on only two data points,” the group said.
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DBH declined to comment when asked for its thoughts on Heal the Bay’s concerns. The department said last week that it would be conducting more testing this week.
January’s dozen-plus fires in LA were some of the most destructive in state history. The vast majority of the damage was caused by the two biggest ones: the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades. The blazes killed at least 29 people and destroyed 18,000 homes and other structures, potentially unleashing heavy metals and other harmful compounds into the environment.
While the county has been removing large pieces of debris, it’s not touching the “dark, silty sediment” ― the matter that Heal the Bay says could be dangerous — saying “removing it could harm the ecosystem by disturbing rocks, sand layers, and marine habitats. It could also erode the shoreline, potentially causing long-term environmental damage. Instead, natural tides and weather will gradually clear it away.”