A small group of House Democrats from Southern California on Feb. 3 called on the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a new task force to monitor the air, soil, and water for dangerous pollution following last month’s catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County.
“This isn’t an issue where we can hold our breath and expect it to go away,” said Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) in a press release.
The Palisades and Eaton fires started Jan. 7 and ravaged swaths of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena, killing at least 28 people and destroying over 12,000 homes and buildings.
In the wake of the destruction, the EPA has opened two sites to process toxic and hazardous debris, including lithium-ion batteries and household chemicals….