San Gabriel, CA, Residents Cry Foul Over Asbestos Waste Disposal

Residents of this Southern California community are refusing to accept asbestos and other hazardous waste generated by the 2025 California wildfires.

In January 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency began trucking asbestos and other hazardous waste 15 miles from the Altadena burn zone to Lario Park in Irwindale for sorting and storage. 

At a subsequent meeting, officials from the EPA and related California agencies that handle environmental protection and toxic substances control assured residents they were taking safety precautions. However, they were repeatedly interrupted by audience members who yelled, "We don't want it!" and "Find another place!"

"I don't know why we should trust them," one resident said of the government agencies. "Don't they always lie?"

Local residents are understandably afraid of the health effects of toxic substances, such as asbestos. Exposure to this substance, which is embedded in almost every structure built before 1980, has been linked to:

• Mesothelioma: This rare and aggressive form of lung cancer begins with a tumor in the mesothelium (membrane layer that surrounds the lungs). Most diagnostic scanners, like MRIs, cannot fully penetrate this thick layer. So, the tumor often grows undetected until it spreads to the lung. By that time, the cancer is usually in Stage II or Stage III, and treatment options are limited.
• Pleural Thickening: This cavity also surrounds the lungs, further protecting them from damage. Inhaled asbestos fibers cause this cavity to fill, putting undue pressure on the lungs. In extreme cases, this pressure causes the inflamed pleural layer to collapse the lung.
• Asbestosis: This disease, which is also known as popcorn lung, affects the insides of the lungs first. Asbestos fibers burn the linings of small airways. The resulting scar tissue blocks these airways. As a result, these victims have extreme trouble breathing, even when resting.

Asbestos fibers have also been linked to digestive tract cancer, mostly stomach cancer. The latency period for cancer and other asbestos-associated diseases is more than fifty years, at least in most cases. Although the statute of limitations has expired by the time victims discover their illnesses, a nationwide asbestos lawyer can usually still obtain substantial compensation in court.

This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are usually available as well.

Many once considered asbestos a "miracle mineral." It does not conduct heat or electricity, making it an ideal insulator. Indeed, if it weren't for its extreme toxicity, asbestos would still be widely used today.

Proper asbestos remediation is essential for property owners. These owners can be liable for the aforementioned damages, even if they didn't know builders used asbestos during construction or renovation.

The remediation process usually begins with an air test. In light of the recent EPA asbestos ban, which as of February 2025 is still being challenged in court, if that air test shows any level of asbestos in the air, even a trace amount, property owners must proceed to the next step.

This next step is usually asbestos removal. If the air level is high enough, it may be more cost-effective to demolish the structure. That's a decision a property owner must make, largely based on input from the remediation contractor.

One way or another, the process must proceed to the next step, which is asbestos disposal. This fireproof hazardous substance cannot easily be incinerated. Therefore, limited waste disposal options are available.

Property owners could also be liable for damages if remediation or other such workers are exposed to asbestos. An asbestos exposure lawyer could also hold another party, such as the manufacturer, legally responsible for damages. 

Other compensation options in these cases include Social Security Disability and workers' compensation. These no-fault alternatives are easier to prove than negligence, but less compensation is available in these matters.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. We routinely handle these matters on a nationwide basis.