Hazardous Materials Removal

EPA's hazardous material removal team completed its work on December 21, 2023. EPA crews removed more than 200 tons of hazardous materials from 1,400-plus properties in fire-impacted areas. After hazardous materials were removed, a soil stabilizer was applied to prevent ash and debris from migrating off properties due to surface water run off or wind. Additionally, more than 30 tons of lithium batteries from 94 electric and hybrid vehicles and 274 power walls were safely collected from the impacted area and shipped off Maui for recycling.

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About the Phase 1 Hazardous Materials Work

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assigned EPA to survey, remove and dispose of hazardous materials from properties affected by the wildfires in Lāhainā and Kula on Maui. EPA finished its field work for this mission on December 21, 2023.

  • Letter from EPA to Maui Residents (pdf) (2.75 MB, December 20, 2023)
    Letter from EPA to Maui Residents, appearing in the Wednesday, December 20, 2023 edition of the Maui News, highlighting the completion of our hazardous materials removal mission assignment, noting ongoing work, and thanking the community for their support.

This work is Phase 1 of the overall federal cleanup response. Phase 2 will be debris removal and completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

EPA removed everyday products like:

  • paints
  • cleaners
  • solvents
  • oils
  • batteries
  • pesticides/herbicides

EPA also removed easily-identifiable and removable asbestos and inspected pressurized fuel cylinders (like propane tanks)

  • After a fire, these products require special handling, especially if their containers are damaged.
  • EPA field teams removed items thought to have asbestos if they were easy to identify, but properties EPA worked on will not be fully cleared until Phase 2.

EPA encourages all residents visiting properties affected by the fires to follow the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Public Health’s safety advisories.

After hazardous waste was removed from more than 1,400 properties, EPA applied a soil stabilizer to prevent ash and debris from blowing off (pdf).

Safe, Temporary Storage of Hazardous Materials

EPA crews removed more than:

Before removal work started, EPA worked with the County of Maui to use the Ukumehame Firing Range as a temporary processing and staging area.

EPA safely packaged hazardous materials there (including lithium-ion batteries) for disposal. Because fire damaged lithium-ion batteries have a high risk of catching fire or exploding, EPA used a novel process to de-energize them for safe shipment off-island for recycling (video).

Before activities here started, EPA developed a process to ensure activities did not affect the area.

Safeguarding Ukumehame Firing Range

Arial photo of Ukumehame Firing Range staging area with lithium battery de-energization process
Aerial photo of staging area with lithium battery de-energization process. Watch our video for more information about this novel process.& Click image to view full sized.
  • Where hazardous materials were processed and packaged, EPA installed a durable liner with a containment barrier.
    • All hazardous materials were placed on this lined area.
    • Once materials were sorted, they were packaged in drums and boxes.
    • These drums and boxes were stored off the ground in a separate gravel-lined area.
    • The drums and boxes were then loaded into shipping containers for recycling or disposal off-island. Important Note: No hazardous materials (including batteries) were processed directly on soil.
  • To prevent dust blowing off property, gravel was laid on high-traffic areas.
  • After work in this area was done, EPA took soil samples to compare with the original soil samples.
    • If any contamination from EPA’s activity is found, EPA will remove it.
  • Once activities are done, EPA will return the staging area to its original condition.

The lithium-ion battery processing area was highly contained:

  • A durable liner (layered with gravel and sand) was installed under steel plates used to drumroll the batteries (see image below).
  • All water used to de-energize the batteries (video) was contained and shipped off-island for disposal.
  • After items were shipped, EPA disassembled the area and sampled the soil to ensure contamination was not left behind.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why were hazardous materials removed?

  • Hazardous materials are harmful to the environment and residents.
  • These materials were safely collected and disposed of off-island.

Did EPA get owners’ permission to enter their property?

  • The State of Hawaiʻi issued an order on August 10, 2023 giving EPA authority to access properties without permission from the property owner.

What were the steps to remove hazardous materials my property?

  • An EPA team first surveyed your property for work conditions.
  • A second EPA team visited your property and removed hazardous materials.
  • After the second team finished, a sign was placed on your property.

Special Circumstances: If the conditions on your property were too unsafe for EPA teams to enter, hazardous material removal was deferred until Phase 2. Please see this fact sheet for more information about the deferral process (pdf).

Did EPA remove anything other than hazardous materials?

  • No. EPA only removed hazardous materials.
  • If functional firearms or suspected remains were found, EPA immediately stopped work and contacted the Maui Police Department.

My neighbors’ properties were cleared of hazardous materials but mine was not. I got a sign saying my property was “deferred” until debris removal starts. Why was that?

Field crews could not work on properties with dangerous trees or terrain, unstable structures, or other unsafe conditions.

Why did EPA apply a soil stabilizer to my property?

EPA applied a soil stabilizer to ensure dust and debris stayed on property. For more information, please see our Frequently-Asked Questions document (pdf) and fact sheet (pdf).

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Last updated on November 14, 2024