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Yolo County supervisors ratify local health emergency after fireworks-site explosion
Summary
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously ratified a local health emergency declared by County Health Officer Dr. Amy Cicignolo for properties adjacent to a July 1 fireworks explosion to unlock state and federal testing, cleanup support and possible reimbursements.
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12 unanimously ratified a local health emergency that County Health Officer Dr. Amy Cicignolo declared on Aug. 11 for properties immediately adjacent to a fireworks explosion that occurred July 1.
Dr. Amy Cicignolo, the county health officer, told the board she declared the emergency under her authority in the Health and Safety Code after determining the incident constituted a hazardous waste spill and an immediate threat to public health. "I declared a local health emergency yesterday for the properties, immediately adjacent to the fireworks explosion that occurred on July 1," Cicignolo said.
Cicignolo said fireworks can contain hazardous materials, including heavy metals and oxidizing agents such as perchlorate, and that the county does not yet know how much of those materials remain on the site. "We do not know how much of that material remains on the site. And so we need to do testing to determine what is present and in what quantities," she said.
The health officer explained three reasons for the declaration: to allow the county to request mutual aid from state and federal partners for testing and cleanup; to enable potential reimbursement of cleanup on private property; and to permit on-site testing on private property to determine what substances may have spilled. Cicignolo said state agencies such as the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) have advised that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and other state entities can only provide limited support unless a local health emergency is in place.
Board members agreed to ratify the proclamation with a clarifying proviso. One supervisor asked whether the board's recital should describe the site as an "unpermitted fireworks facility," noting county records show no permits for the operations at the location. The board's motion maker and seconder consented to include that understanding in the ratification.
Supervisor Allen moved to ratify the declaration; Supervisor Barajas seconded. The clerk called the roll: Supervisor Allen — Aye; Supervisor Barajas — Aye; Supervisor Villegas — Aye; Supervisor Frerichs — Aye; Supervisor Vixie Sandy — Aye. The motion carried unanimously.
During the meeting there were no members of the public present to comment on the item, and the board reported no closed-session actions. The board noted the emergency declaration allows county staff to pursue testing, request mutual aid, and seek potential reimbursement for private-property cleanup if indicated by test results.
The board adjourned with the clerk noting the next scheduled meeting on Aug. 26.
