Trevor Neilson, a Malibu environmental advocate and philanthropist, is leading an urgent fight to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to dispose of hazardous waste from the Palisades Fire at a site between Malibu and Topanga. Citing serious risks to public health and the environment, Neilson has vowed to take legal action if necessary, arguing that the EPA’s decision could have devastating and irreversible consequences.
Since the Malibu Daily News first broke the story, Neilson has been in constant communication with the Malibu City Council, urging immediate action. However, despite growing concerns from residents and environmental experts, city staff have advised council members that they are not allowed to hold an emergency meeting on the matter due to restrictions under California’s Brown Act, which regulates government transparency.
Neilson has strongly pushed back against that reasoning, calling it “bad legal analysis” and “insane” that the council would refuse to meet urgently on an issue of such magnitude. “The Brown Act has clear exemptions for emergencies,” Neilson said. “The fact that the council won’t meet immediately to discuss this, or even the ongoing aftermath of the deadly fires, is a complete failure of leadership.”
The EPA’s decision to use the site near Malibu and Topanga has drawn widespread scrutiny. Neilson, who previously worked in the White House during the Clinton administration, has warned that the chemicals contained in the toxic waste “can easily leak into the Pacific Ocean, killing all marine life there forever.”
Seeking expert advice, Neilson consulted a former high-ranking EPA official who advised Malibu and Azusa City Council members to request an emergency meeting with Cherri Peterson, the acting administrator for the agency’s Region 9 division, and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control. The official questioned why the EPA selected this disposal site over alternatives, suggesting that “some sports stadium parking area” would be a more suitable location.
Neilson has relayed this recommendation to the Malibu City Council and continues to press officials to act. He has also highlighted the EPA’s track record of mismanaging similar environmental projects, warning that without oversight, the agency could expose communities to long-term contamination risks.
The controversy extends beyond Malibu. In Calabasas, parents have voiced outrage over plans to dispose of fire debris near Lupin Hill Elementary School, fearing toxic exposure for children and staff. Similarly, in Topanga Canyon, residents are fighting against the transportation of hazardous waste into sensitive state parklands near the beach.
Despite roadblocks at the city level, Neilson remains undeterred, insisting that local officials must act with urgency. “This is not just about Malibu,” he said. “It’s about protecting our coastline, our communities, and our future. The fact that we’re even debating whether this deserves an emergency response is absurd.”
As public pressure mounts, the battle over the EPA’s disposal plan is shaping up to be a defining test of how communities can—and should—respond to environmental crises in real time.
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