In this episode (#89) we talk with Jerry Sipe, recovery manager for Dixie and Beckwourth Complex Fires in Plumas County.
He talks about how the utter devastation in Greenville, a town of about 1,100 in Plumas County, has left a debris field from one end to the other, as well as destroyed homes scattered throughout the area. While crews are making good progress debris cleanup and removal of hazardous waste caused by the fire, there’s still a large number of homeowners who have not signed a right of entry (ROE) form to allow crews to access the property to clean it. And that’s a problem, especially with the wet season arriving; rain causes debris flows, and that can contaminate groundwater.
Jerry Sipe holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Geology from the University of California at Davis and is a California Registered Environmental Health Specialist. He served as the Director of Environmental Health for Plumas County from 1999 until his retirement in 2020. He is an active member of the California Association of Environmental Health Administrators, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to Environmental Health Departments statewide. His love of the hiking, fly fishing and the outdoors led him to Plumas County in 1988 and he continues calling it home.