SPOKANE, Wash. — The Environmental Protection Agency is on the ground in removing debris and hazardous materials from homes destroyed by fire in the Rifle Club neighborhood.
EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon oversaw the debris removal operation Wednesday as crews worked to clear properties affected by the fires. The agency has established an aggressive timeline, with teams targeting the removal of 30-40 properties per day.
The cleanup effort focuses on eliminating dangerous materials that could threaten the safety of homeowners returning to their properties. That includes removing propane tanks, paint, chemicals, and other hazardous substances that remain in the burned structures.
“We’re working to reduce risk for our property owners coming back and recognizing really that folks are anxious to get back to their properties and we want to do our part to reduce risk for folks as much as possible,” Pokon said.
The hazardous material will be taken to an area where it can be sorted, and then the EPA will take it to a disposal facility.
An order from the regional health agency allows them to go onto properties and remove the items without homeowner approval.
The federal agency has set up an interactive map where you can see which properties have been cleared, and which ones they still have to get to.
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