EPA administrator outlines Trump's plan to speed up rebuilding of homes after fires
LOS ANGELES -- Trump administration officials traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to outline the president's plan to override state and local rules and speed up the permitting process for the reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes destroyed by last year's wildfires.Last week the president signed an executive order that the White House promised would allow homeowners to rebuild without contending with “unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive” requirements.
The plan is to allow federal loan recipients to “self-certify” that they meet all state and local building requirements if their permits aren't approved within 60 days.Trump's goal is to help homeowners cut through bureaucratic red tape and “tear through every single obstacle” that's slowing rebuilding, said U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, whom Trump tapped to oversee the effort.His staff will examine why over 1,000 permit applications have been returned to residents seeking to rebuild, Zeldin said during a Wednesday news conference after meeting with residents in Pacific Palisades, where the first of the two infernos erupted in January 2025.“We want to know why every single one of these applications are sent back to the applicant,” he said.“What is that hurdle ...
that’s preventing them the ability to be able to rebuild their home?”State and local officials maintain permits are being approved in a timely manner.They questioned whether the Trump administration can legally take over the permitting process and said they have received little to no information about how the new process is to work.
Roughly 3,000 permits have been approved, with more than 1,000 homes under construction, according to county data.“Now (Trump) has signed an executive order that goes into effect, when? We don’t know.Is it legal? Almost certainly not," California Gov.
Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Monday in San Diego."He hasn’t coordinated with anyone to tell th...