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Wildfire Cleanup Information Panel
Jan 27 • 7:00 pm PST
How soon can the cleanup from LA’s wildfires begin? How long will it take? Can it be done safely and equitably? How can I monitor the impact on air and water around me? What about the beaches? How will local officials decide where to start and how to prioritize what gets cleaned up first? Can we get transparency on their decisions?
The R&S Kayne Foundation and KCRW are organizing a public information session on Monday, January 27th at 7PM PST to provide vital information regarding the cleanup process for people living in or near areas affected by the LA fires and open to all. The idea is to provide high-quality information and discussion of practical considerations as cleanup efforts get underway. Topics include the process and timeline, seeking realistic expectations based on experiences of communities such as Lahaina on Maui, Paradise CA and others that have faced large-scale wildfire cleanup, health and environmental concerns/mitigation, understanding the choices that local officials will have to make, and how the public can seek transparency/accountability as the process plays out.
A Spanish translation will be available at this Zoom event. When you log on, click “Interpretation” and select “Spanish” to enable. / La traducción al español estará disponible en Zoom. Cuando inicie sesión, haga clic en “Interpretación” y seleccione “Español”.
Moderator: Madeleine Brand, host of KCRW’s Press Play
Panelists:
- Andrew Whelton – Professor of Environmental Engineering at Purdue University, consulted on Paradise, Maui and other fire recovery efforts
- Dr. Nichole Quick, Deputy Director of Health Protection Bureau at LA Dept of Public Health
- Kevin Phillips, Paradise CA Town Manager, previously worked for Paradise Irrigation, Also worked on Maui recovery
- Tracy Quinn – President and CEO of Heal the Bay
- Rachael Jones – exposure scientist, industrial hygienist, and professor in environmental health sciences at UCLA
How to Register:
Please sign up using this registration link. After registering, the Zoom link will be emailed directly to you.
About Our Panel
Professor Andrew Whelton is an environmental engineer and civil, environmental, and ecological engineering professor at Purdue University. Before joining Purdue, he completed his BS, MS, and PhD in engineering at Virginia Tech and worked at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Building Fire Research Laboratory. His work focuses on environmental engineering, natural disasters, wildfire response, water quality, and public health.
Dr. Nichole Quick is a medical doctor and governmental public health expert. She’s currently the Deputy Director for the Health Protection Bureau at the LA County Department of Public Health. Before joining LA DPH she got her Bachelor’s in Philosophy at the University of Utah and Masters of Public Health from San Diego State. She returned to the University of Utah for her M.D., and has since spent her time in public health and in education as a professor at UC Irvine.
About Our Host
Madeleine Brand, is the host of KCRW’s award-winning daily news and culture show, Press Play. On the show, she covers national, international and local stories through a Southern California lens. Madeleine has hosted and reported for NPR and for affiliate stations for more than 30 years. She has a master’s degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where she also taught documentary radio. Madeleine’s undergraduate degree is from the University of California Berkeley, where she graduated with honors in English.