Lario Park Collection and Processing Site Information Page

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On Thursday, January 23, 2025, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal agency, designated unincorporated Lario Park as the site for collecting and processing hazardous household debris left behind by the Eaton Fire, including lithium electric vehicle batteries.

However, the Cities of Azusa, Irwindale, Baldwin Park, and Duarte were not provided with advance notice or an opportunity to voice concerns regarding the site's close proximity to these communities and the potential risks it may pose to public health and safety. As a result, the City of Duarte opposes the designation of this site.

EPA Resources

EPA Completes Work at Lario Staging Area

EPA Completes Work at Lario Staging Area

Press Release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 22, 2025) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed all operations at the Lario Staging Area and fully demobilized from the site. EPA has conducted post-operational sampling and verified that EPA operations had no environmental impact on the area.

“The successful completion of EPA's work at the Lario staging area marks an important step in our hazardous materials removal mission throughout the Eaton fire zone," said Tara Fitzgerald, EPA's Incident Commander. "We recognize community concerns about environmental impacts from our operations and confirm that as anticipated, our work at the staging area had no adverse environmental effects on the site or the surrounding communities."

EPA implemented significant safety and mitigation measures to protect public health and the environment at and around the staging area. For more information on staging area safety measures, please see our Staging Area Fact Sheets.

EPA’s work is part of an all-of-government response to the Los Angeles wildfires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assigned EPA to assess, remove, and safely dispose of hazardous materials from all burned areas. To do this, EPA established temporary staging areas where hazardous materials collected from the fire burn footprints were consolidated and repackaged in a controlled environment for safe transportation to final disposal facilities.

This effort, the first essential phase of recovery and the largest wildfire hazardous materials cleanup in EPA history, was completed in just 29 days with support from multiple government partners including FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and California state agencies.

The public can find more information about EPA’s hazardous material removal operations at EPA’s 2025 California Wildfires website.

Updates from the EPA

The EPA conducts continuous 24-hour air monitoring for oxygen, carbon monoxide, ammonia, lower explosive limit, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter within the Lario staging area to ensure workers are protected. EPA compares monitoring results with California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).

For all of the reporting periods (February 5 - March 12), no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area. Air monitoring was terminated at 5 PM on Wednesday, March 12.

The Data Validation Report and Sampling Points are available below:

• Lario Staging Area Data Validation Report

• Lario Staging Area Sampling Points

March 6 - March 12 Reporting Period

For the Thursday, March 6 through Wednesday, March 12 reporting period, no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area.

February 27 - March 5 Reporting Period

For the Thursday, February 27 through Wednesday, March 5 reporting period, no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area.

February 20 - 26 Reporting Period

For the Thursday, February 20 through Wednesday, February 26 reporting period, no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area.

February 13 - 19 Reporting Period

For the Thursday, February 13 through Wednesday, February 19 reporting period, no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area.

February 5 - 12 Reporting Period

For the Wednesday, February 5 through Wednesday, February 12 reporting period, no PELs were exceeded at the Lario staging area. Levels did not require EPA to take additional actions or modify work activities. There were no releases of hazardous materials within the staging area.

Statements and other documents

• 1-27-25 Joint Opposition Statement

• 1-27-25 Congressman Gil Cisneros Letter to the EPA

• 1-27-25 County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Statement

• 2-3-25 Lario Park Collection and Processing Site Update

• 2-7-25 Supervisor Kathryn Barger Letter to the EPA

• 2-19-25 Message from the USEPA Regarding Phase 1 Transition Update

• 2-22-25 South Coast AQMD Launches Dashboard for Air Monitoring Data

• Resolution No. 25-04 Opposing the USEPA's Use of Lario Park as a Hazardous Waste Sorting Site

• Temporary Relocation of Eaton Fire Evacuees to Pamela Park

Public Meetings