WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has cleaned up 75 percent of hazardous waste generated by the recent catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County.
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on January 24, directing EPA to complete the hazardous materials clearance mission within 30 days. EPA says the work
began on January 28, and in under three weeks it has already cleared or deferred 75 percent of the properties that were impacted by the fires. The agency said it is on
track to meet the President's ambitious deadline and hit a major milestone in its largest ever wildfire hazardous waste cleanup.
'EPA staff on the ground are working around the clock to get as many properties cleared of hazardous material as quickly and safely as possible. Not only is this the
largest wildfire cleanup in the agency's history, but it will go down as the speediest recovery thanks to presidential leadership and a hardworking, passionate team at
EPA. Californians and all Americans can rest assured, EPA will always be there to respond to emergencies and help rebuild,' said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
EPA partnered with the U.S. military and Department of Homeland Security to develop and execute a plan to expedite the removal of contaminated and general debris for
the 13,595 residential properties and 305 commercial properties impacted by the wildfires.
Administrator Zeldin traveled to Los Angeles on February 6 to survey damage and meet with EPA personnel on the ground.
EPA has been assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the first phase of the overall recovery and cleanup: the project to remove lithium-ion batteries
and to survey, remove, and dispose of hazardous materials from properties burned by wildfires. This work ensures the safety of residents and the workers who will -
after the hazardous material is gone - conduct Phase 2 debris removal in the burn footprints, and prevent these materials from being released into the environment.
Phase 2 will be conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as coordinated by FEMA.
EPA said it will also remove lithium-ion batteries from vehicles, homes and other products. Many homes have damaged or destroyed lithium-ion batteries, lithium-ion
battery energy storage systems, and electric and hybrid vehicles. The batteries should be considered extremely dangerous, even if they look intact. Lithium-ion
batteries can spontaneously re-ignite, explode, and emit toxic gases and particulates even after the fire is out.
EPA said it is using best management practices to ?process any hazardous household material and keep it contained within the facility.
From January 7 to 31, a series of 8 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California.
One of the worst wildfires in U.S. history, it killed at least 29 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, and destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures.
The wildfires are estimated to have burned more than 57,000 acres of land.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
