The Army Corps of Engineers is prepared to “unleash” teams to start clearing debris at properties damaged by the horrific Los Angeles fires, marking the beginning of the cleanup and reconstruction phase.
Hazardous material removal and general debris clearance were the two first stages of the recovery procedure that officials outlined for the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. Both of these need to be finished before any reconstruction can start.
County officials announced during a news conference on Wednesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase 1 hazardous waste disposal process has been expedited from three months to 30 days. It was claimed that the county’s ability to “get more federal resources” to the area was the reason the procedure was shortened. Debris removal can start when EPA staff have finished removing hazardous trash, however the timeframe for that will vary.
For Phase 1 information on a specific property, visit EPA.gov or give (833) 798-7372 a call.
Phase 2 is being led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and after Phase 1 is finished and each property’s Right of Entry paperwork are filled out, debris removal can start.
Army Corps of Engineers Col. Eric Swanson stated, “We have crews waiting and as soon as we receive a batch of our first ROE’s, we are going to unleash our crews to those properties and start debris removal.”
Depending on the complexity of each property, he added, labor may take anywhere from two to ten days. In order for staff to handle debris cleanup in groups rather than distributing resources one property at a time, it is advised that neighbors cooperate to complete their ROE forms in batches.
ROE forms can be obtained by phone at (844) 347-3332, online at recovery.lacounty.gov, or at disaster recovery centers.
“We certainly hope to be done with this whole process in less than a year,” Swanson stated. Additionally, property owners have the option to hire private contractors instead of participating in the free debris collection program. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath stated, “If you would like to bring private contractors along, they can accompany you to your property upon your return.” The requirements for qualifying contractors can be found at recovery.lacounty.gov.
Using all Army Corps of Engineer criteria for debris removal, utilizing county-approved haul routes, disposing of waste on county-approved landfills, and adhering to all local jurisdiction regulations for every city are all necessary for private contractor certification.
Many of the bureaucratic obstacles in the reconstruction process have been eliminated, according to Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I want to emphasize for those planning to rebuild, the process starts now,” she stated. In the event that property owners wish to remain on their property while reconstruction is underway, she added, ADUs will be allowed on certain sites.
Where will the debris go?
Haul routes are among the parameters that need to be finalized in the debris removal process. According to officials, the garbage will be disposed of in four existing landfills in LA County.
The head of Los Angeles County Public Works, Mark Pestrella, stated, “We have calculated that we do have the capacity to take these materials,” To minimize disturbance to communities, the routes will be decided in consultation with city officials.
According to Swanson, when clearing debris, workers will employ the wet approach, which uses water and mist to prevent ash from spreading. “When we remove fire ash and debris, we place it in the bed of a dump truck and inside of a black heavy-duty plastic liner which we will wrap tightly around that ash and then we will lower the tarp from the truck on top of it,” he explained. “That will ensure all of that ash will remain in place during transit.”