Following the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a significant milestone in its largest wildfire hazardous waste cleanup to date. An Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump on January 24, 2025, tasked the EPA with completing this mission within 30 days. Work commenced on January 28, and within three weeks, the EPA has cleared or deferred 75% of the affected properties.
"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," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. "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."
Under President Trump's directive, the EPA collaborated with the U.S. military and Department of Homeland Security to expedite debris removal from over 13,000 residential and commercial properties impacted by fires.
Administrator Zeldin visited Los Angeles on February 6 to assess damage and meet with personnel involved in cleanup efforts.
The operation involves 1,601 personnel divided into various teams focused on hazardous material removal and reconnaissance. To date, they have surveyed nearly 12,024 properties and cleared about 7,100 of them.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assigned Phase 1 of recovery to EPA: removing lithium-ion batteries and hazardous materials from burned properties at no cost to residents. This ensures safety for both residents and workers who will handle Phase 2 debris removal led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The process includes removing potentially dangerous products like paints, cleaning supplies, automotive oils, lawn products such as herbicides and pesticides, batteries including lithium-ion types, propane tanks, visible asbestos items, and inspecting pressurized fuel cylinders.
Some properties have been deferred to Phase 2 due to unsafe conditions preventing complete assessment during Phase 1.
Lithium-ion batteries from vehicles and homes pose significant risks due to their potential for re-ignition or explosion even after fires are extinguished.
EPA is also coordinating with utilities and other stakeholders for expedited cleanup operations while providing technical assistance for water systems restoration and air pollution monitoring in affected areas.
If residents are present during removal operations at their property, crews will reschedule work for another time. Only hazardous materials will be removed by hand; non-hazardous materials remain untouched unless identified as valuable objects requiring law enforcement involvement for safekeeping.
Temporary storage locations have been secured for collected materials which are processed into appropriate waste streams before safe disposal while maintaining health-protective measures through air monitoring throughout operations.
Guidance documents related to hazardous material removal can be accessed online alongside continuous updates on EPA's ongoing efforts in response to California's wildfires this year.
