Los Angeles County leaders on Wednesday penned a letter asking that federal crews expedite the removal of 75 tons of illegal fireworks that are currently sitting in a Commerce warehouse. 

On top of that, there are also 27 pallets of highly-flammable hand sanitizer stored in the same building, leading both Supervisor Janice Hahn and Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone to "urgently request" the "immediate intervention" of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

"This facility is located in an area densely populated with occupied businesses, and a residential community approximately one half a mile away," the letter said, addressed to U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zedlin. "The continued presence of such a large volume of highly combustible and hazardous substances near a vulnerable population and active commercial occupancies represents a critical public safety threat."

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The illegal pyrotechnics were discovered in May, when Cal Fire and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided the warehouse. At the time, more than 100,000 pounds of the explosives were removed by ATF officials, but since then, the materials have remained in the same location awaiting removal. 

"Although the US EPA has identified a Department of Defense site for the storage and safe destruction of the materials, Los Angeles County officials have been informed the removal of the fireworks is projected for mid-August, a timeline that is unacceptable."

Hahn called the situation a "recipe for disaster" and said that local fire crews would have removed the fireworks themselves if they had the authority to do so. 

As the cleanup date looms, the warehouse remains under 24/7 surveillance and fire watch, county leaders said.