EPA Begins Hazardous Waste Cleanup from LA WildfiresEPA Begins Hazardous Waste Cleanup from LA Wildfires

EPA crews are facing hazards during cleanup efforts from the Los Angeles wildfires.

January 20, 2025

1 Min Read
Timothy Swope / Alamy Stock Photo

In Los Angeles, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) crews have begun hazardous waste cleanup efforts in areas devastated by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. The intense heat of the fires has turned everyday household items like pesticides, paint solvents, and lithium-ion batteries into dangerous hazards that could leak, explode, or reignite.

Electric vehicle batteries abandoned during evacuations pose particular risks, requiring specialized handling akin to unexploded ordnance. EPA teams equipped with protective gear and air monitors are carefully identifying and removing hazardous materials, a process expected to take months.

Read the entire article here.

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