EPA administrator outlines Trump's plan speed up rebuilding of homes destroyed by LA wildfires

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?”

It is unclear whether he was referring to permit applications for the Palisades or Eaton fire areas. LA County's permitting progress dashboard shows 619 permit applications were returned with comments for those in unincorporated areas of both fires.

Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office, said they were mostly returned for local code compliance issues, such as building too close to property lines, and adherence to building height and roofing standards.

Local leaders say the process is moving fast

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've 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 them. It’s just typical Trump,” he said during a news conference in San Diego.

The Palisades and Eaton fires killed 31 people and destroyed about 13,000 residential properties, becoming some of the most destructive blazes in the region's history. The fires burned for more than three weeks and cleanup efforts took about seven months — a timeline that both Newsom and Trump have praised as particularly quick.

Zeldin called on insurance companies to speed up payouts to policyholders.

“There are a number of number of people waiting for their full insurance payment," he said. "They are desperate to receive every last penny that they need from their policy to be able to rebuild their lives.”

Under the new federal rules, anyone approved for a Small Business Administration Disaster loan can self-certify that their building plan meets state and local rules if they don't get a permit within 60 days of applying. The order also directs federal agencies to expedite waivers, permits and approvals to work around any environmental, historic preservation or natural resource laws that might stand in the way of rebuilding.

Barger, whose district was hit by the Eaton Fire, pointed out that there are already local self-certification rules in place that help expedite reconstruction. Most permits are handled by local officials within a month, she said.

Funding, not permitting, is the problem

Barger, who joined Zeldin on Wednesday, said she shared it's a lack of money, not permitting issues, that are keeping many from rebuilding.

The Trump administration has not approved the state’s $33.9 billion disaster aid request.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not join the roundtable, but Zeldin said they met privately. Bass has called the executive order a political stunt and recently said rebuilding plans in Pacific Palisades are being approved in half the time compared to single-family home projects citywide before the wildfires, “with more than 70% of home permit clearances no longer required.”

The office of Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents Palisades, said she was not invited and said the Trump administration's effort would not bring meaningful relief.

The Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday directing county attorneys and planning officials to monitor the federal government's implementation of Trump's executive order and, if necessary, take legal action to defend local permitting authority.

Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council took steps to wave permitting fees in the Palisades, a move that could cost as much as $90 million over three years, according to Matt Szabo, the city’s top budget analyst.

Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Law School, said there's little the president can do in the short term to speed up rebuilding. Trump could press Congress to pass new national permitting laws, which might take years.

But an attempt by the administration to supersede state and local regulations would spark a long fight in the courts.

“The claim that the federal government can just come in and boot these local laws out of existence, that’s not a thing,” Levitt said.

Associated Press reporter Julie Watson contributed from San Diego.