Protect Calabasas: Stop Toxic Dumping

Update: 2/23/25

Protect Calabasas hosted a Townhall yesterday with myself, the Calabasas city council, the president of the Board of Education of the LVUSD, and Dr. Maryam Ghavami, to discuss the health ramifications of this decision and provide a legal overview/update on the pending litigation. I urge everyone to watch it at www.protectcalabasas.org. The organization is in need of donations for the resident legal fund to keep the resident fight going alongside the city, a crucial strategy for this very complex litigation. Please consider donating additional funds ASAP. No amount is too small. And please pass along this cause to other friends and families. Please understand, Protect Calabasas is not trying to slow removal measures. They are trying to maintain the health and safety of surrounding communities and urging the federal and state governments to not bypass laws implemented for this cause to move debris in haste. The message of the organization is this debris does not belong in anyone’s backyard and should all be removed with Phase I materials.UPDATE: FEBRUARY 20, 2025 - WE ARE ON FILE! Our complaint was filed today, along side the City of Calabasas' complaint and their request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that will be heard tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM. We now begin the next big phase in this legal battle fight that will require substantial funding. Time is of the essence as the next 30 days are the most important steps toward us receiving a preliminary injunction or other emergency relief. Hopefully, the TRO is granted tomorrow! The next step is filing a motion for a Preliminary Injunction, which is akin to a "mini trial". We need to gather evidence, hire experts, draft motions, etc which are all costly on the legal front. WE ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN REACHING OUR GOAL. COPIES OF THE LEGAL FILINGS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.PROTECTCALABASAS.ORG.

UPDATE: We have a law firm ready to begin work immediately. They have agreed to cap fees at $40,000 to get an injunction filed by Tuesday morning. Additional fundraising will need to occur to continue fighting this fight past Tuesday. Link to firm and attorney below.

https://www.greenbergglusker.com/noah-perch-ahern/

My name is Michelle Geller. I am the Community Leader for the fight against dumping fire debris in the Calabasas Landfill. You can see my speech at last evenings City Council meeting at www.protectcalabasas.org.

As a resident of the local Calabasas community, the aftermath of the Palisades and Eaton fires brought not only devastation but also a concern about the disposal of fire debris. Currently, this refuse is slated to be dumped in the Calabasas landfill - a decision that adversely impacts our environment and community health. Calabasas is one of the only California landfills that is less than one mile from elementary schools, parks, and residential neighborhoods. LA County is loosening regulations, applying for waivers, increasing landfill hours and daily tonnage, all while violating our rights and not alerting our local city council or the public.

WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY.

It's indisputable that this debris contains asbestos that will be dumped in our backyard, potentially infiltrating our local soil and water resources, posing far-reaching environmental and health hazards.

As such, the community is banding together and hiring a lawyer to seek an injunction and TRO to stop the dumping in our beautiful community. Time is of the essence as they want to start dumping soon and the cost for competent, powerful counsel will be costly.

Take a stand with us by donating to our legal fund. No amount is too small. Every dollar counts toward our success. Your support is critical in protecting our community from potential harm.