State contractors have removed debris generated by the Woolsey and Hill fires from more than 53 percent of the properties affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires currently eligible to participate in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, officials with the Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) in Calabasas reported today.
To date, crews have removed debris from 509 – or 53.35 percent — of 954 eligible properties in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Under the state program, administered by CalRecycle and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), property owners who opt in incur no direct costs for the removal of eligible debris.
In Los Angeles County, contractors have cleared 466 — or 54.25 percent — of the 859 eligible properties affected by the Woolsey Fire of all eligible burned metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soil.
In Ventura County, crews have cleared 43 – or 42.56 percent – of the 95 eligible properties affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires. The 43 cleared properties include 40 – or 42.11 percent — of the 95 eligible properties affected by the Woolsey Fire and half of the six eligible properties affected by the Hill Fire.
“We continue to make steady progress in removing debris from eligible properties,” said Kendra Bowyer, state incident commander for the Woolsey and Hill fires debris removal effort. “We recognize, however, that there is still work to do and are committed to removing debris from every eligible property as quickly as possible so property owners can start rebuilding.”
According to DROC officials, crews have finished implementing erosion control measures on 140 of the cleared properties in Los Angeles County and on 10 of the cleared properties in Ventura County. Erosion control measures include the installation of fiber rolls and the application of a wood-based, environmentally friendly mulch.
Officials also have submitted final inspection reports to local officials for 107 of the cleared sites in Los Angeles County and for 11 of the cleared sites in Ventura.
Submission of the final inspection report for each property followed the completion of site assessments; asbestos surveys; asbestos abatements, where needed; debris removal; analysis and testing of soil samples by a state-certified laboratory; the implementation of erosion control measures by state contractors; and a final walkthrough by state debris removal officials and operations staff.
According to DROC officials, contractors have removed nearly 218,333.49 tons of eligible debris since operations began on February 6. The total includes more than 193,731 tons from Los Angeles County and more than 24,601 tons from Ventura County.
Debris removal officials also reported that contractors have completed site assessments on 962 properties – 855 in Los Angeles County and 107 in Ventura County.
During site assessments of properties whose owners have opted into the state program, contractors document and photograph property lines, the location of septic tanks, the footprints of foundations and ash, as well as objects that pose a hazard or hamper operations such as trees, pools and vehicles.
Contractors also have completed 946 asbestos surveys – 850 in Los Angeles County and 96 in Ventura County. In addition, they have abated 112 of the 117 properties in Los Angeles County where they found bulk quantities of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs). In Ventura County, crews have abated nine of the 14 parcels where they identified bulk quantities of ACMs.
Debris removal experts from Los Angeles County Public Works and the Ventura County Environmental Health Division are available at the DROC from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays to meet with property owners who have submitted Right-of-Entry (ROE) permit applications.
Debris officials will notify property owners who have opted in to the state program 24-48 hours prior to the start of debris removal operations on their property. Property owners may walk the property with crews before work begins.
For more information in Los Angeles County, visit lacounty.gov/LACountyRecovers or call 1-626-979-5370. For more information in Ventura County, visit www.venturacountyrecovers.org or call 1-805-504-7869.
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