LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Lee Zeldin, an administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told residents of Pallisard in the Pacific that his agency is “working around the clock” to remove dangerous goods from burned areas He said.
The Palisade caught fire at the Palisade and spread to Malibu on January 7th. Later that day, Etonfire struck Pasadena and Altadena east. Thousands of homes were destroyed and tens of thousands of people were evacuated.
The EPA is responsible for the first stage of cleanup from LA Fires (so-called “Phase 1”) which involves the removal of hazardous materials, including battery debris from electric vehicles. Home cleaning supplies and other toxins.
Originally, the EPA was expected to take 90 days to complete the investigation and cleaning of the burn area. However, under the guidance of President Donald Trump and administrator Zeldin, the timeline was shortened to 30 days.
This accelerated other stages of the process. The most important of these is “Phase 2”, which is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, with the removal of debris from burned properties (although homeowners can also hire their own contractors. )
Originally, the Phase 2 timeline was 18 months. However, Major General Jason Kelly told Breitbart News:
Residents are pleased that the EPA is moving quickly. However, there were some concerns about the fact that the EPA was using Will Rogers State Beach parking as a temporary storage for dangerous materials before it was removed to a safe disposal site.
Manager Zeldin told Breitbart News that “no touch the ground” as part of the process of managing hazardous materials, and the EPA said, “Activities make land, air and water safer and healthier.” He said he would make sure there was nothing else to do but, and the cleaner.
He added: “The role of the EPA is to help… we work 24 hours a day.”
He noted that there are already 1,200 EPA personnel on the ground, and that the EPA continues to accelerate its efforts.
Additionally, residents are unhappy with the obvious delay at the start of Phase 2. They signed General Kelly a “right of entry” form that allowed a group of Army engineers to enter their property, while Los Angeles County has not yet edited the form and the Army has I had sent it.
Ambassador Rick Grenell, the president's envoy for the Special Mission, urged federal, state and local agencies to work more efficiently to speed up the local rebuilding process.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysyou can pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author Trump's Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald TrumpIt is now available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
