After the Eaton fire, Altadena dirt went to Tujunga. What followed was a rebound

Residents on the rugged gidge ropes became suspicious in January after a rugged truck began flooding nearby streets, undulating their loads on property owned by nearby prefectures.

Their inquiry indicated that the truck was carrying winter storm sediments dug out of fishing basins, which were in trouble, and the estuaries were rapidly flooded in and around the fire.

According to the county, the basin is essential for flood control in the San Gabriel Mountains, mainly located above residential burn areas.

But the haul and dumping action has led to dramatic consequences between county officials and Tuhunga residents, another example of the community’s fear of accepting debris related to the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Residents say harmful dirt is being transported. Earlier this year, at least one local dive into the site to collect and privately test the fishing water basin. According to the community, selenium and arsenic were found.

Tujunga resident Karen Von Gunten said: “I was scared and angry. Because of the harmful odor she attributed to the site, she no longer felt comfortable gardening for a long time.

County officials believe the soil is safe.

Meanwhile, Tujunga locals (who love the relative isolation of living in the backdrop of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains, they say they are tortured by the noise, vibration and dust caused by tow trucks that cross the houses in that semi-level area.

This is the entire anorexia of Tujunga history and the reputation of the clean air community. Since the 1920s, the region has begun to attract people with asthma. Today, the community still attracts residents seeking to escape the pollutants and noise of urban life. On the edge of the mountain, the area is home to bears, deer and rabbits.

Caroline Kim Palacios said she was forced to temporarily move her 70-year-old mother, Suki Kim, to her mother's home because she complained about sore throat, burning eyes and lungs, and nausea in March. Kim Palacios said her mother believed the problems were related to the drag-running.

She also pointed out wildlife including deer, which passes through the area and nearby washing. “I’m worried about the ecosystem,” Kim Palacios said.

The county apologizes, but the dumping continues

County officials admitted in a March meeting with Tujunga locals that they did not warn residents of the 17.5 acres of live action.

“I'm sorry for not handling it better,” said county engineer Laren Bunker. “I think we might be better in communicating with the community.”

According to county officials, the county began shipping debris freight in January after not using the site for 15 years. It was activated due to the size of the storm fragments that had to be removed from the basin.

The county said that despite operations halted earlier this month, operations may resume after future heavy rains.

This lot, known as the Zachau Sediment Location, is defined by a tall fence and several houses.

County Public Works spokesman Elizabeth Vazquez said the sediments brought to Tujunga came from the western ravine and fern basins on the edge of the mountain. Some houses burning on the hills are above the basin.

On February 14, the Xishangu Basin in Altadena was swollen due to debris.

(Contributed by Michael Bicay)

Photos taken by Altadena residents in February show a basin filled with dark sludge-like fragments.

Wazix said the debris included “nutrients.”

Vazquez said some of the ashes from the undeveloped hillside may have ended up in the basin, underground stormwater drainage systems and landfills. She said no flame retardant phos-chek was observed in the debris basin.

Vazquez also said staff had taken measures, including installing a berm to prevent burnt household debris from cleaning the property.

Flooded by rumbling trucks

The county does not need to clean up truck routes with the city, Los Angeles Department of Transportation spokesman Colin Sweeney told the Times.

In Tujunga, residents living on the route describe the rumble of trucks passing through the house. They say the screams from the truck brakes are particularly tormenting.

Ara Khatchadourian lives on the corner of Commercial Avenue and Hilltop Street and moved to Tujunga two and a half years ago because he and his wife wanted a quiet neighborhood after living next to a high school in Glendale.

Trucks start in the morning and go all day six days a week. In March, seven ceramic tiles on his dining room floor broke and he blamed the truck's vibrations.

“It’s been a very tense time,” the Katadurian said.

Karen von Gunten, who lives near Zachau with her husband Jon, moved to Tujunga in 1987 and enjoyed the owls and other wildlife that flocked to it.

She said today, without the smell, she couldn't always keep the windows open. She said there was a strong “burning rubber” smell that eventually decreased after the truck first arrived in January, but it was still troublesome. Her husband described the scent similar to “old car engines.”

A representative from the South Coast Air Quality Management District said the agency has received 23 complaints alleging traffic problems, odor and dust related to Zhacang since January 7.

“South Coast AQMD responded to each complaint and conducted on-site inspections on nine different days,” spokesman Nahal Mogharabi said. “Our inspectors did not notice odors from the area and did not observe any behavior of air quality during any in-person visits.”

Multiple soil tests

According to the results, the dirt collected by the resident on site showed that selenium is a trace element that could be harmful in concentrations and was reviewed by Times.

Laboratory results also show that the amount of arsenic is higher than the federal and state levels, but below another public level used in California.

According to the test, the county conducted its own tests on Zachau and the two storm basins, and these results did not show selenium, usually the same level of arsenic.

“You can take two spoons and get two different results,” said Joe Sevrean, the lab director of 1 lab.

“Toxicologists reviewed samples collected by residents and their tests showed the soil was clean and compliant with the state's safety standards,” Kathryn Barger, the Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the area, told the Times in an email.

Los Angeles City Councilman Monica Rodriguez asked the county to repair the road in Tujunga, and she said she was damaged by a truck.

Rodriguez's district includes Tujunga, who said in a letter to Los Angeles County's director of public works Mark Pestreella in March said she was “very concerned” about the county's use of the location.

The Tujunga community hopes the county will conduct more testing. Residents are also ready for the next storm and another truck.

A county official told residents to consider removing the speed bump along part of the truck route so the truck doesn’t have to brake and scream.