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Los Angeles fire rebuild efforts are underway, with expedited clean-up established

Los Angeles County Recovers press conference
Los Angeles County Recovers press conference 30:03

The clean-up and rebuilding process following the devastating Los Angeles fires is now underway, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready to "unleash" crews to begin debris cleanup at fire-damaged properties.

Officials laid out the recovery process for the destructive Palisades and Eaton fires, establishing two initial phases: hazardous material removal and then general debris cleanup. These must both be complete before any rebuilding can occur. 

At a Wednesday news conference, county leaders said Phase 1, the removal of hazardous material by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been accelerated from three months to 30 days. It was explained that the process was shortened because the county was able to "get more federal resources" to the area. Once EPA crews are done with hazardous waste removal, debris removal can begin, and the timeline for that will vary. 

For Phase 1 updates on property, call (833) 798-7372, or visit EPA.gov. The EPA website provides a real-time interactive map, showing color-coded properties indicating "assessment needed," "Phase 1 complete," "deferred to Phase 2," and "no access." Property owners can enter their addresses to check the status of their parcels.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is leading Phase 2 and debris removal can begin once Phase 1 is complete, and when Right of Entry forms are completed for each property.  

"We have crews standing by and as soon as we get a batch of our first ROE's, we are going to unleash our crews to those properties and start debris removal," Col. Eric Swenson with the Army Corps of Engineers said.

He said work on each property could take anywhere from two to 10 days, depending on the complexities of each property. It is suggested that neighbors work together to submit their ROE forms in batches, so crews can tackle debris cleanup in clusters, rather than scatter resources one property at a time. 

ROE forms are available at disaster recovery centers, online at recovery.lacounty.gov, or call (844) 347-3332.

"We certainly hope to be done with this whole process in less than a year," Swanson said. Property owners can also opt out of the free debris removal program and go with private contractors. "If you'd like to go with private contractors, they can now go with you to your property when you return," Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said. Contractor qualification requirements are available at recovery.lacounty.gov. 

The private contractor certification requires using all Army Corps of Engineers standards for debris removal, using county-approved haul routes, disposing of debris on county-approved landfills, and complying with all local jurisdiction requirements for each city.  

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said much of the red tape in the rebuilding process has been removed. "I want to emphasize for those planning to rebuild, the process starts now." She also said ADUs will be permitted on properties should owners want to live on their property while rebuilding.

Where will the debris go?   

There are still some details to be worked out in debris removal, such as haul routes. Officials said four existing LA County landfills will take in the debris.

"We have calculated that we do have the capacity to take these materials," Mark Pestrella, director Los Angeles County Public Works said. The routes will be determined in coordination with city leaders, to minimize disruption to neighborhoods.

Swenson said crews will be using the "wet method," with water and mist to keep ash from spreading when removing debris. "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 said "That will ensure all of that ash will remain in place during transit."     

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