Calabasas Landfill Proposing to Accept Disaster-Related Debris

The following provides more information on the two phases of disaster debris cleanup, and frequently asked questions about the Calabasas Landfill’s acceptance of debris from the Palisades and Eaton fires.

In response to the 2025 Los Angeles Fires, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are leading the efforts to remove household hazardous materials and disaster-related debris from affected properties. This FAQ document is designed to address common questions about the Calabasas Landfill’s involvement in accepting disaster-related debris, the safety measures in place, and the regulatory processes that ensure the protection of public health and the environment.

Disaster-related debris cleanup will occur in 2 phases:

Phase 1– Household Hazardous Materials Removal is being conducted by the USEPA. The USEPA has organized teams of experts to inspect impacted properties and remove household hazardous materials that may pose a threat to human health, animals, and the environment such as batteries, herbicide, pesticide, propane tanks, asbestos siding, and paint. Generally, Phase I is automatic and includes both residential and commercial properties that have been destroyed by the fires. For more information about Phase 1 hazardous material removal, visit recovery.lacounty.gov.

Phase 1 is currently in progress for both the Palisades and Eaton fires. The household hazardous materials that are removed during this process are not being transported to the Calabasas landfill.

Phase 2– Fire Debris Removal is being conducted by the USACE. USACE will conduct disaster-related debris removal from affected properties for property owners who have opted-in to the government-sponsored Private Property Debris Removal Program. For more information about Phase 2, visit recovery.lacounty.gov.

The County Department of Public Works, in coordination with the USACE, has identified landfills across Southern California that have capacity and required safety standards to accept disaster-related debris. This includes locations in LA County and other counties.

Only lined landfills can accept disaster-related debris under state law. Disaster-related debris is debris from burned residential homes that have had all household hazardous materials removed. With disaster-related debris anticipated in the millions of tons, having as many landfill options as possible is required to accelerate recovery efforts.

The Calabasas Landfill is a Class III Municipal Solid Waste landfill that has a composite liner system and is designated to safely accept disaster-related waste. The site, which is owned by LA County, is requesting that the LA County Board of Supervisors and local regulators take the following actions to enable the site to support the disaster recovery effort:

    1. Temporarily increase the daily tonnage allowed from 3,500 to 5,000 tons.
    2. Change hours for receipt of waste from 8a-5p to 7a-6p (Monday-Saturday, same as pre-fire).
    3. Modify the wasteshed to allow acceptance of disaster-related waste from the recent fires and windstorm. The current wasteshed only allows waste to be received from designated areas in the vicinity of the Calabasas Landfill. The modified wasteshed would add the fire-impacted areas only, into the existing wasteshed.

The waivers will only last up to 6-months, with the possibility for extension if needed.

Calabasas Landfill has doubled the number of inspectors who will be looking at incoming waste loads as well as stepping up dust control measures.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    1. How will the USACE decide which landfills accept debris?

No definitive decisions have been made regarding where the debris will be disposed of. USACE and their contractor will make these decisions on an ongoing basis depending on operational needs. Public Works will work closely with USACE on the distribution of the debris to the various landfills that can receive the materials.

    1. Will private landfills be accepting disaster-related debris?

Yes. With disaster-related debris, including unburnt debris from the 2025 LA County Fires, officials estimate millions of tons requiring landfill disposal. USACE will need to have options for publicly and privately owned landfills to accept disaster-related debris. Landfills in Ventura County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County are all being considered in addition to Los Angeles County Landfills.

    1. Are there any public health concerns?

CalRecycle and LA County Public Health have no concerns to these types of materials entering lined landfills. This process is the standard method for disposing of fire debris.

    1. Will this expediate the closing of Calabasas Landfill?

Since there is no planned expansion of the Calabasas Landfill, accepting tonnage from the recent disasters would shorten the remaining life of the landfill. Once the capacity is fully used, the landfill will close.

    1. Is there a cap of the number of extensions for the temporary increase in tonnage?

Each landfill has its own respective restrictions on the number of days the governing agencies can lift the permitted tonnage requirements. Generally, the governing agencies have the discretion to lift the tonnage requirements as necessary to appropriately manage the overall waste stream for the protection of public health and safety during a declared disaster or national emergency.

    1. How will disaster-related debris be transported?

Fire debris will first be wet to avoid potential for dust. Wet debris will then be loaded into a truck with a bed lined with 10-mil thick plastic (about 20 times thicker than plastic wrap). Once the truck is loaded, the sides and ends of the plastic liner will be folded over to enclose the debris in a wrap. The truck will then be covered with a tight-fitting solid cloth tarp so that no wind contacts the debris while in transport. On the site, Landfill staff will add moisture so that the debris does not generate dust. Heavy equipment will bury the waste, and at the end of every day, all waste will be fully covered.

These same steps were used when the Calabasas Landfill accepted fire debris after the Woolsey Fire and are used to ensure no ash is released during the transport and disposal process.

    1. How does the USACE ensure household hazardous materials do not end up in the landfill?

As part of Phase 1, household hazardous materials will be removed by the USEPA and taken to facilities certified to manage the material. As part of Phase 2, the USACE will also look for and remove any household hazardous materials that they find during their clean-up process. Any materials will be taken to facilities certified to manage the material.

    1. What are the regulatory requirements from the Water Quality Control Board?

The Water Board has General Waste Discharge Requirements for Disaster-Related Wastes. Under these requirements, Class III landfills with appropriate environmental controls, including a composite liner and leachate management systems can accept disaster-related waste.

For more information, please contact:

The United States Army Corp of Engineers
(213) 308-8305

Calabasas Landfill Operator
(818) 889-0363