𝗛𝗔𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗣: EPA Task Force Removes Lithium Batteries from Burned EVs After Palisades Fire
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lithium Battery Response Task Force worked in Pacific Palisades, removing lithium batteries from electric vehicles destroyed in the deadly Palisades Fire. This effort is part of a larger hazardous material cleanup to protect public safety and the environment. Following the Southern California wildfires, President Biden declared a federal disaster on January 8, 2025, unlocking federal aid for cleanup. On January 14, FEMA assigned the EPA to assess and remove hazardous materials. Later, on January 24, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the EPA to expedite hazardous material cleanup in Los Angeles. This cleanup, known as Phase 1 of the federal response, is provided at no cost to residents.
The EPA is handling and safely disposing of hazardous materials from burned properties. These materials, including paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, herbicides, pesticides, and propane tanks, are transported to licensed disposal sites. Pressurized fuel cylinders are either removed or defueled, with empty tanks marked for Phase 2 debris removal. A major part of this effort includes extracting lithium-ion and high-voltage batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles and home backup power systems. Crews ensure safe transport and recycling under strict environmental standards. Once hazardous materials are cleared, an EPA completion sign is placed on-site. Residents are urged to follow recovery guidelines as cleanup continues.
The Palisades Fire erupted on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, spreading rapidly due to Santa Ana winds and prolonged drought. It burned over 23,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and displaced 150,000 residents across Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the San Fernando Valley. The fire claimed at least five lives and left many injured. Efforts to contain the fire were hampered by strong winds that grounded aerial firefighting support, allowing flames to spread unchecked. Recent rainfall has helped extinguish the fire but also raised risks of mudslides and debris flow. By January 27, evacuation orders were lifted, marking the beginning of recovery efforts, including debris removal, utility restoration, and hazard mitigation. The EPA's continued cleanup operations remain crucial to ensuring safe and effective rebuilding in affected communities.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗲-𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱.
© 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗸𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗰𝘇/𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗽. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱.
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Fabian Lewkowicz, an award-winning accredited photojournalist and press photographer based in Santa Monica, is renowned for his captivating imagery and storytelling. As the creator of Santa Monica Closeup, he draws on years of experience with local media outlets like the Santa Monica Daily Press and The Corsair to capture iconic moments in the city's history.
Santa Monica Closeup is a visual chronicle of the vibrant and diverse community of Santa Monica, brought to life through Fabian's seasoned lens. With deep roots in the city, he offers an authentic and intimate glimpse into everyday life, crafting compelling videos that resonate with both locals and visitors alike.
Fabian's photographs have been showcased in a wide range of venues, from museums and art galleries to hospitals, department stores, banks, and public institutions like fire and police stations. His photography captures the essence of Santa Monica, portraying everything from its breathtaking landscapes and stunning sunsets to its unique culture and diverse community.
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TAGS: Photojournalism, Photojournalist, Documentary, Cinema Verite, Fly-on-the-wall, Observational Photography, Press Photography, SMCU, SM©U
Unbelievable!! It will take 500 years to remediate these properties at the rate these crews are going.
They will never get all the pollutants out water in the resovoir would have prevented this. Government incompetence and corruption is extreme.
Once again homeowners, YOU ARE BEING PLAYED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT!! Cut your losses and leave CA before it's too late!!
I’ve got 5 more years here and then I’ll have to move in retirement.
Fabian has done a great job of exposing the disaster of these preventable fires and creditable efforts of those in the recovery...
Can I get a job there? I can stand around in a Smurf outfit pretty good.
Union at its best....
Hi Fabian! I follow and love your content on the daily - it’s excellent and thank you for all you’re doing. I just watched this post and I think it’s telling of the bureaucracy in place in LA County. Where the Team is working to removing that one car from the house lot:
I count at least 7 people and most of them are standing around and they spent an hour trying to remove 1 vehicle. Multiply that by the 1,000+ structures and this is untenable. I feel so sorry for all those families displaced.
The cleanup will take a looooooooooooog time!
This Patriot crew has got to be the most "inefficient" thing ever!!! The first residence (700n Via De La Paz) where 5 guys are dissecting an EV and placing contents into two 55-gallon drums, then leaving one guy to seal up and man handle both drums to the curb while the other four take a break. Note the guy in the black jump suit/white hard hat...then after handling this waste, what possible clean up could these guys do before eating their box lunch meals?
It is insane in the final recovery, the addition of two female personal, the black jump suit guy and 4 to 6 others inspecting and trying to cut off the 4 doors after it was hosed down. It was a Laural and Hardy video of the 3 and 4 guys trying to remove the 4 doors. The fork-lift operator, lifting and smashing the vehicle, that after numerus attempts was a total joke of abusing the fork-lift, gets the vehicle inverted for final inspection/removal as 6 to 8 stand and watch!!!
These EVs should simply be scooped up and hauled away to a secure site for battery waste removal instead of this procedure in the driveways of homes where the wreck less beating and banging disperses the containment efforts into more areas of contamination. This was awful to watch this nonsense!!!
I couldnt agree more,Is it that the lack of common sense starts at the top and works down or do they genuinely not know what theyre doing, or alternately are they just trying to drag the job out for as long as possible for maximum wages profit..Either wayto call them Laurel & Hardy is doing Laurel & Hardy an injustice because at least they were entertaing LOL 🙂
your right the should be scooped sent off to a different plant . and carried in an enclosed tuck ie tipper body [ some cells may still be alive ] ya see tesla etc only wants the copper and lithium $ they dont want have to deal with the burnt land fill items that have no value ......... mean while the site gets more contamination and puppets get to play dress up like its nuclear waste
I agree with you, I was thinking the same thing. They don't even have the right tools to do the job. And probably don't even have the right blade on the Sawzall
The Chinese would have cleared the entire area by this time.
my hubs said also that there is an actual lifting machine for those types of barrels so there wasn't a reason for that guy to have to roll it if the state put some money into buying some of those lifts which would make this much more efficient.
It's not out of the question that maybe an actual EV battery fire caused this whole thing. There are a lot more EV vehicles in that area than most US cities.
I think it must be tiresome to watch thousands of dollars in tax money being wasted by such bureaucratic incompetence. My sympathy goes out to the camera man.
It's like almost all the time. Lot's of equipment. Lot's of employes in vests. But their not working. 😮💨
Ahora les preocupa la contaminación? Esto es como si lanzas una bomba atòmica y después avisas que hay radiación...
Its a process
@HazelKitching I like your first name. Hazel.
This episode sponsored by Milwaukee cordless battery powered tools! You got to love it!
What’s so sad is the wild fires will never end until the 4 families running the State are stopped and a new administration takes over that will be proactive with dealing with the fire situation.
That poor high lift will never be the same
These videos can be watched in half the time 2x speed.
The workers are still at 2x normal speed.
Good videos gd documentation SMCU ... So appreciate your work Sir 🙏
Gavin Newsom just said wow look at all the jobs I just created
😂
Who owns Patriot environmental services? What year did they start? I bet you if you find out who the owners are of patriot environmental services theyre probably related to some politicians or are some politicians that own them
They suck but they are one of the biggest companies out there but honestly they work is pretty basic nothing to be WOW 🤯 about. But yes politics
as if u r really saying anything? it’s top down control & our entire lives we know who sets the table in their favor. Referring to politics in the same ol way is RETARDED. All those people are on the opposite side of regular folks.If they are not actors or tools of the RULING CLASS they are the Offspring & I don’t mean phony “billionaire”poster people. Wake up boot lickers
All these videos are going to be invaluable as training videos on how NOT to do a cleanup in the future
this is showing how entirely not efficient government is and the companies that they hire can be. all they had to do was find a talented forklift driver who coud lift and flip that car upside down. no need to be cutting up that car to do the same thing. also tow truck drivers are very good with flipping cars too. the government there would have been better off and money better spent to hire tow truck drivers to flip all the cars they think are electric instead of using forklifts that can't do the job efficiently or at all.
@@kananimiranda3376 I totally agree 100% That telehandler was not the right equipment here. I'm with you on an actual forklift or a wrecker. Could have done a way better and faster job, could have even loaded it on the wrecker and just had the car hauled to a better place to go through. Shaking the car to death scattering toxins everywhere, crushing it and taking 20 minutes to flip it didn't really provide a great outcome. That telehandler was not made for what the guy put it through. It all had to do with having skilled operators and the right equipment, neither was at this job.
I bet it took longer to take the car apart than it did to put it together.
=)
i live in the palisades i can say so much on the failures of the city.
this is what happens when a local born bread is not in power
maybe if you can do a better job you should run for council, so much more productive that bad-mouthing people on youboob
@numbthumbs9220
REPORT to TRUMP and he'll sort it out ‼
@ he did
@ i saw trump he told karen to get her shit together
They needed a wrecking yard crew, not this bunch.
exactly. tow drivers are very efficient in flipping cars because that is their job a lot of times when cars flip in accidents. they hired the wrong crew to get the cars flipped at least. use the environmental team afterwards, but it is obvious in this video they have no idea what to do when it comes to getting the scrapped car in a condition they can do their job in. use the tow truck drivers first, and then these environmental guys can come around and clean up. more efficient. if a tow truck driver had flipped this car, for instance, then the environmental guys could have skipped this last car altogether since it may have ended up being an ICE car instead of an EV. but anyway, someone up above these people have no idea who to hire and when to finish this job way more efficiently. the other idea is to take all these cars to a yard and then sort them out. but that is the problem with EV is that they are combustible even after there is not energy to those batteries. so they might be worried about transit of these compromised batteries as a whole car to a yard.
Why are these guys cutting that car apart other than to make a bigger mess, it's not an electric vehicle clearly since it has a muffler hanging off the back, should've just been towed to a salvage yard for proper dismantling....smh
To justify the boku bucks that they're charging the citizens, home owners and insurance
@@westcoastg4life pretty much
You shouldn't concern yourself with such complicated subjects, just think of it as a hybrid car.
@@westcoastg4life’BEAUCOUP.’ French word for ‘many/much.’
@@imd1b4u that's what i was thinking possibly. but can you imagine spending all that time messing with that car and flipping it and finding out it is an ICE car the whole time? what a joke. if it is a hybrid, then maybe that justifies all this time spent, but if it isn't, wow. someone really screwed up and wasted a lot of people's time.
they should hire people who know how to do that job hahaha, the guy driving the excavator has no idea, then we have the hamburger crew pulling a door off, i give it another 2 years before the residents are back
Ionger
They wont be back trust, its all toxic waste lands now
I see it is not just CalTrans that stand around doing nothing.
Your videos could be used for training the good, the bad and the ugly. Good job.
We're not even that stupid in Germany and we're pretty stupid
I find that hard to believe, but even if Germany is like that at least its in a tidy and methodical way..
What a joke
Yeah, it turns out that electric cars are WAAAY worse for the environment…not to mention the near slave labor in Africa that is used to mine the electric battery elements.
سيد فابيان شكرا لك على جهودك الرائعة اتمنى لك النجاح تحياتي ،،،،
I'm glad you took the time to show the world what California is going through and recovery efforts.
Me creería los esfuerzos si a cada uno que se ha quedado sin casa le diesen el dinero que vale un portaviones repartido entre todos...ahora es negocio para unos cuantos.
How many Smurfs does it take to move a burned-out car? More than five, plus the heavy equipment operator.
It's obvious you have not done any work that required physical labor or you would know how time consuming and dangerous it can be. The more people present on site, the faster the response if something goes south.
@@Icebikerwife53ja,ja,que sabéis los de EEUU , lo que es trabajar duro.
Thanks again!
I have a hard time watching this and not commenting because I want to remain positive but aaargghhh!!
Fabian estas aciendo uy excelente trabajo gtacias te agradesco tu eyes El unico que nose predestination Ensenada. O que esta pasando cuidese mi amigo u muchas bemdiciones
OWWWWWW. I bought an EV. I am saving the planet! HAHAHAHAHAHA
The gasoline powered vehicles have already contributed their pollution of gas and oil to the environment during the fire.
@@Icebikerwife53 sorry my liberal democrap friend but not even close. if you get your head out of your ass, and read the studies that are available you will see that EVs are WORSE for the environment when you take the TOTAL cost to manufacture and own these toxic environmentally UNFRIENDLY vehicles.
"Clean Harbors"???????? How clean Are LA "harbors" when all the piss and crap from the homeless on the sidewalks gets washed thru the storm drains into the Pacific? Can you say oxymoron?
C'est malaisant de voir autant de gens autour d'une voiture alors que électrique ou pas, ils suffit de l'enlever dans un endroit sécurisée. En France quand ce genre de choses arrivent, on perd pas autant de temps et de gens qui ne font rien alors qu'ils peuvent optimisé le boulot de déblaiement.
En toda Europa, allí 10 personas haciendo teatro.
Lithium batteries are the future of our demise.
Thank Elon.
Lots of trip lease signs on the side of the Graymar vehicles, are they from out of state or something? Seems like they would be more well equipped with barrel carts and clamps for moving them. One thing I found funny is when the guy was giving directions to the mini excavator, the guy says down by the white truck, their all friggen white.
Who owns this company and who gave the con-tract?
If Fabian Lewkowicz had been in Lahaina to document the EPA's work there removing hazardous debris, there wouldn't have been the criticism and the complaining about how long it took to clean up that town.
I was trying to figure out what they were really trying to accomplish, but I know nothing about lithium batteries and environmental issues. It looks to be a very long and complicated process.
You started right at the Old REEL INN Restaurant. Loved that place.
And where will them barrels go? No really the truth!
don't worry. Moss Landing people in Monterey County California, see no problem with Lithium it so clean the EPA didn’t even have to test for anything after there fire.
Toxic dump site, there's one near wherever you live.
So, how was it good for the environment?
EVs are so good no they are not this will cost way more than gas cars if you have to do this after all of the fires. A total scam.
Man they need some real equipment that machine can only lift 2 tons.
it's sad to see how the seemingly incompetent staff of this company can't manage to deal with this pile of junk. It's funny to see one man working and four people standing next to him giving good advice. If that's the attitude of the people to do their job properly, then I have to say that America isn't as great as it always boasts...
This is painful to watch. It will be a decade before any semblance of a community will be rebuilt. 🥲
you know every ev has around 50 kg of copper in the battery ? charge for it then clean up at the scrap yard
my hubs was saying they can recycle the cobalt too. and in the older evs there is more cobalt.
@@kananimiranda3376 yes both over $5 kg at the scrap yard the new California gold rush tons of the stuff to take protected by laws lies an fear
Watching this video is a joke, at this rate it will take a life time to complete just the cleanup. If this is the EPA trying to remove the car at the end of the video, they should be embarrassed and leave it to the Professionals. You need an excavator not a forklift, ediots.
Those men are out there risking their health and safety for properties that are not even theirs,if u dont like it,hire your nearest own private contractor to clean it up for you.
This is more of YOUR TAXMONEY BEING WASTED.
We pay taxes for 1 guy to work and the rest to stand and watch and still get paid
Any updates on the lithium battery factory fire?
Bureaucracy at its finest!
This is hard to watch!
I thought the government said batteries were green and safe and better for the environment than oil ???
Then why do we have hazmat suits on
Heavy, dirty, hazardous work...I hope these guys are paid well. This is what Federal tax dollars pay for since this is done with no charge to the property owner.
They will get billed and the insurance ,nothings free
@@bigcatauna Read the commentary above. Phase 1 uses Federal money. Phase 2 debris removal is another story.
They will get billed 3 times the price for a basic work
If the owner was to hire a company themselves they would save thousands and thousands
@When a structure burns, the property owner is responsible for the cleanup. According to what I understand happened in Lahaina, FEMA gives the owner the option of refusing to have FEMA do the cleanup. However, if they hire an independent outfit, that outfit is required to follow the same procedures, including the deposition of the debris. I don't think there are many who can charge less for doing the same work as FEMA's contractors, unless they cut corners.
How could under ground utilities burn up,melt,or get damaged from the fire.? Much of the trees and foliage isn’t even burnt that bad ?…??
Welcome to the Grusome/Bass Show.
At this rate, they might be building something in 2035.
Slow down for Gods Sake this isn't a race!...
Welcome to our “future” where everything are “e-vehicles”….
So much for “sustainably”!
Why don't you eat it? Your living in it and driving around in it, so NOW it's toxic waste?
Great camera shot of the people sitting around doing nothing and every one of them making a big paycheck. 💯🤦
What lithium batteries? the fires burned so hot everything burned and melted. There’s nothing left but Ash who thought of this idea?
How does it work in America? What is the hourly rate? This work efficiency is terrible, sorry.
So many comments from "experts" that don't have a clue.
I wonder what river the EPA will dump those 55 gallon drums?
38:24 Cyber Truck photo-bomb. Just doesn't seem to be getting better...
Where does all the hazardous waste go?
Different types of hazardous waste get divided up into various streams. Cars end up at Port of Los Angeles for export to Chinese steel plants, construction waste like concrete can be crushed and used in new construction, material with asbestos is disposed of in 50 gallon double drums in San Bernardino (last I read), Tesla has its own system / facility
Buy a battery powered car and if it burns down you have to call a hazmat team to dispose of it
What a load of bullshit
#1 reason not to buy an electric car
C'est mou du genou si je puis me permettre...
I’m sure it takes them 10 days just to sift through 1 property
Anyone else would be getting fired
Look at all that bloat.
W>>T>>>F>>>???
That guy is working on being on disability for the rest of his life the way he’s moving those drums around
He should be fired for endangering himself on the job
If you had a millions rules and laws like California you would move slow also...
Electric is for golf carts that’s it!
that car that they flipped over had a muffler, so it wasn't all electric. maybe a hybrid? they spent a lot of time on a car that was maybe not actually an electric or a hybrid possibly. this make me think they need to add some special designation to the VIN numbers so that when they find them in these situations they know for sure in the VIN that is an electric car. maybe they have that already, but i haven't heard of that yet. omg, just watched the end after they saw the muffler after a minute or so they all walked away looking dejected. that means they must have realized it was an ICE car finally. they are just all walking away. so much time wasted there.
This was NO "WILDFIRE"!
What a waste of taxpayer dollars
Looks like alot of milking the job going on!
Not so good on environment, don't need hazmat suit for a gas car...hmmm??? EPA of old was wrong...
What is the insurance payout going to be?
Didn't chipmunk get a job yet? Lot of companies need grunt laborers there.
how useless
What is going on
COMPLETE BS! LET RESIDENTS BACK TO THEIR HOMES NOW!!
Their homes are piles of smoking ashes! Doh! 🙄
Trump warned them 6 years ago!