In LA, EPA Facing The Removal And Disposal Of 4.25 Million Tons Of Structural Ash/Debris, Much Of It Toxic
This weekend, more than a hundred demonstrators protested against a new plan by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use a local beach as a toxic waste sorting site, to process debris from the Palisades fire. They waved signs saying “Save Our Beaches” and “Sort Toxics at the Burn Site” as they walked up and down the path along Will Rogers state beach in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, just outside Los Angeles.
Their message? Wildfire debris isn’t just ash – it’s poison. “Asbestos, heavy metals, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons will not remain contained,” a petition circulated by a local resident, Ashley Oelsen, says. “Toxic contaminants from the wildfire debris could leach into the soil and the waterways. Onshore winds will undoubtedly carry these hazardous particulates, compromising the air quality where people live, work and play. The risk to our ocean’s health is just as alarming.”
The celebrated stretch of beach isn’t the only place where a post-fire debris debate is brewing. With more than 6,800 structures destroyed in the Palisades fire – and another 9,400 in the Eaton fire across the city – there are tons of ash and debris – including burned-out cars, propane tanks, pool chemicals, paint and insulation with asbestos – that need to be cleaned up and removed. Winds and rain can carry bits of toxic material into other sensitive areas, so there is a rush to move quickly. The army corps of engineers estimates 4,250,000 tons of structural ash and debris need to be removed after the LA fires of 2025.
The EPA has planned to clean up hazardous materials in just a month – a timeframe it announced in late January, after Donald Trump visited the area. The size of the disaster makes that timeframe challenging – after the devastating fires in Lahaina, Maui, it took the EPA more than three months to remove hazardous materials from just 1,448 properties that burned.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/18/la-fire-cleanup-beach-will-rogers-epa