Ash and mud from the fire and slide are being dumped into the ocean . What are the possible ripple effects of this action? Susan Reedall

One of the concerns would be the potential introduction of contamination into the waters. This is an emergency measure that gets exempted from normal environmental regulatory review. Consequently, no testing of the material is probably being done. Mud and ash themselves are natural materials and wouldn't be considered hazardous materials. But this debris may contain pollutants such as untreated sewage, chemicals such as oils, gas, solvents and any other household and commercial chemicals. I don't know where exactly they're being dumped, kn the beach or shallow water, but there could be also physical hazards such as glass, ails and other sharp objects that could potentially injure beach users.

Just more silt. This is the least of our worries in the world.

Thank you