As recovery efforts are underway in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena neighborhoods, a new debris removal program was announced by the L.A. County Department of Public Works.
Mark Pestrella, director of the Department for Public Works, said during a press conference Wednesday that the department is partnering with the Army Corps of Engineers for debris removal and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous materials removal.
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USEPA Commander Tara Fitzgerald said the agency started removing hazardous material on Thursday.
“Hazardous materials include common household items that many of us have in our homes, such as regular household products like paints, cleaning supplies, and automotive oils,” she said. “Garden products such as herbicides and pesticides, batteries including both standard and rechargeable types, propane tanks and other pressurized fuel containers.Fire-damaged lithium-ion batteries which require special handling due to fire and safety risks.”
She added that workers are equipped with protective gear, including respirators, protective suits, and special gloves.
When it comes to debris removal, Col. Eric Swenson said that the consolidated debris removal program is a two-phase process. The first phase is the removal of hazardous materials and the second is debris removal.
“This includes working with local and state partners to begin identifying placement and disposal sites,” he said. “Next, we will begin issuing contracts to our industry partners so they can mobilize and get on the ground here as soon as possible for site assessment and planning, and that has already started.”
Pestrella said this process is done at no cost to property owners.
“Each property with damaged or destroyed structures must be inspected and household hazardous waste removed before any other fire debris is removed,” he said.
For more information on the program, residents can go to https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/debris-removal/ or call (844) 347-3332.
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