The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed hazardous waste from half of the 4,499 properties deferred to it by the Environmental Protection Agency during Phase 1 of the household hazardous materials removal operation from the deadly January wildfires, officials said Monday.
The 50% benchmark comes seven days after the U.S. EPA’s deadline for completing Phase 1 work in wildfire-affected parts of Altadena, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
The EPA initially conducted HHM removal on approximately 9,000 properties damaged in the Eaton and Palisades fires, but some sites posed safety risks such as structurally compromised buildings, unstable terrain or limited access. EPA officials deferred those properties to the Corps of Engineers to implement safety measures before removal could start.
As of Saturday, the corps had finished removing hazardous materials from 2,269 properties.
“We know how much these families and communities have already been through, and we are working with a sense of urgency to help them move forward,” Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Wildfires Recovery Field Office, said in a statement. “Safely removing household hazardous materials is a critical first step, and we are pushing forward to complete Phase 1 as quickly as possible.
“At the same time, we are making steady progress in Phase 2 debris removal, with more than 125 properties completed and returned to the County, and over 400 parcels in various stages of hydromulch application, erosion control, and final sign-off,” Swenson said. “Every cleared property is a step closer to rebuilding, and we remain committed to working as safely and quickly as possible.”
Before removing hazardous materials, the corps takes steps to stabilize conditions for safe access that include removing structurally unstable debris to prevent collapse risks, clearing hazardous materials that obstruct safe entry and stabilizing terrain to protect workers, officials said.
“The Corps of Engineers is authorized to use heavy equipment and demolition if needed to safely complete these operations,” according to the agency. “Once a property is secured, hazardous materials are removed following the same process used by the EPA.”
On Feb. 22 in Malibu, officials marked the first wildfire-damaged property cleared by the Corps of Engineers after Phase 2 of the debris removal process began. The agency expects all eligible properties enrolled in the government’s debris removal program by the March 31 deadline will be cleared for rebuilding work by January.
Residents affected by the wildfires were urged to submit the Right of Entry forms that authorize debris removal from their properties. Forms are available at recovery.lacounty.gov or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center.
