Residents on the Hawaiian island of Maui have been urged not to drink tap water and to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) amid an increased risk of toxic chemicals in the air in the wake of devastating and fatal wildfires that left 115 dead.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Aug. 23 that it had begun removing and disposing of hazardous waste materials, including paints, cleaners, solvents, oils, batteries, and pesticides, from homes in Kula and Olinda impacted by the wildfires and would later begin identifying and removing items thought to contain asbestos as part of its second phase of the removal process.
