Mudslide Sediment at Goleta Beach

This week our community suffered tremendously as friends and loved ones were lost and homes and businesses were damaged and destroyed. Our hearts go out to all those directly affected by the Thomas Fire and now the mudslides in the Montecito area.

During the current, on-going emergency, we saw mud being trucked to Goleta Beach, raising many concerns about the impacts to the beach and the park. We regret that our city was not adequately notified about this decision and therefore we could not notify the community that mud would be discharged at Goleta Beach.

We understand that in this emergency the mud and debris must be removed as soon as possible both to support search and rescue efforts and to end the mandatory road and highway closures. At the same time, we have made clear to the County and Incident Team that it is vital that we are kept informed and involved as decisions are being made affecting the Goleta community. And we have also made clear that we want to be a part of an effort to identify other options for disposal of mud, especially as emergency conditions are relieved.

We are now in active communication with the County and the Incident Management Team on this issue and so we are able to communicate accurately about how events transpired and what we can expect in the near future.

A decision was made by an experienced group of Federal, State, and local agency experts that initially mud would be trucked and deposited at Goleta Beach and at Carpinteria Beach at Ash Avenue. This was done with the permission of the California Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Mud from the Coast Village Road area is currently being transported to Goleta Beach. Sediment from the Santa Monica Creek and Franklin Creek within the Carpinteria Salt Marsh is being trucked to Carpinteria Beach at the end of Ash Avenue. Other recovered materials are being transported to Ventura County Fairgrounds for sorting. Some vegetative debris is being taken to staging areas at either the closed Foothill Landfill or to the Tajiguas Landfill and placed in a grinder. In some locations, Caltrans is using vacuum trucks well. 

Goleta Beach and Carpinteria Beach at Ash Avenue were chosen because they have ready access for heavy equipment. The decision to use these beach locations was made by County staff in consultation with Incident Command.

While the Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer permits do not require testing, the County tests ocean water as part of their normal process. The beach waters are closed because water bacteria levels are above acceptable limits. Bacteria levels were high before, during, and after mud discharge. Fish and Wildlife are testing the pH of sediment being deposited at Goleta Beach and results have not been indicative of contaminants. Air quality testing for hydrocarbons was also conducted and none were detected.  There are also two County Environmental Planners at each of the deposit sites, inspecting every truckload. Those that contain debris are moved to another location off Highway 154.

It is possible that other mud being removed from the Montecito area may be able to go elsewhere, but obtaining new permits to place the sediment elsewhere would delay recovery efforts. 

Our Goleta government is committed to working closely with local agencies and emergency personnel to resolve the immediate community crisis as swiftly and safely as possible. We are also committed to working with them to identify other sites for disposal of mud so as to minimize impacts on Goleta and surrounding areas. Our efforts will continue during the current unprecedented emergency, as the situation transitions into later phases, and as we determine the best ways to anticipate and respond to future emergencies.

Finally, now that we are in the information loop, we pledge to keep our commitment to keeping Goleta residents fully informed about present and future plans related to this rapidly-evolving situation.