The California National Guard has deployed 150 personnel to Montecito to clear out the rubble from the Randall Road debris basin, by far the largest in Montecito. About 85 members of the National Guard are expected to begin work on the effort Thursday night; meals were served by the Miramar Hotel.
The National Guard members will be separating out boulders and rocks, placing them in one pile; dirt, mud, and silt in another; and organic materials — tree branches and logs — into a third. The silt and mud will be tested for environmental contaminants; assuming it passes, it will be deposited on Goleta Beach as part of a “beach nourishment” program.
The Randall Road debris basin — the scooped-out remains of eight Montecito properties destroyed by the 2018 Debris Flow — is reportedly 50 percent full. The rains of this past week marked its maiden voyage.