County reminds victims of regulations
Property owners are asked not to sift through ash, debris due to hazards, may effect eligibility for Phase II, financial help, rebuilding
As hard as it must be for homeowners not to search for keepsakes at their home sites after a wildfire, they mustn’t disturb ash or the ash footprint of properties according to Monterey County officials preparing for Phase I clean-up of properties with wildfire damage.
“The (River and Carmel) fire areas are open and people have been allowed to return to their homes to survey damage,” said Maia Carroll, county spokeswoman. “Home and property owners are asked not to sift through ash and debris due to hazards. They are encouraged to call County Environmental Health (831-755-4500) for information about what is safe to do.”
Failure to follow the required removal and disposition of firedamaged debris could jeopardize financial assistance and delay rebuilding.
Phase I: Household Hazardous Waste Removal, which is free to homeowners, involves the county coordinating with state and federal partners to assist homeowners in removing fire debris, starting with the removal of household hazardous waste, which is expected to begin by the end of September.
Structures that have been destroyed or damaged by fire present health dangers that may not be immediately visible. Debris is dangerous to the environment and public if not properly managed, according to the county, that is why it is important to know how fire debris must be disposed of and why anyone accessing burned home sites during recovery must wear protective equipment.
During Phase I, teams of experts from the California State
Department of Toxic Substances Control and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, inspect property and remove any hazardous waste that may pose a threat to humans, animals and the environment such as batteries, herbicides, pesticides, propane tanks, asbestos siding, paints and e-waste.
The clean-up for all affected parcels will be available to follow on an online interactive map, and properties will have a placard placed on them when Phase I has been completed.
As ash clean-up proceeds, state and federal teams are analyzing the fire impact on watershed areas to help guide local recovery planning efforts and mitigate areas that may be prone to winter debris flow. That report is in progress and will eventually be shared with the public.
In Phase II: Debris Removal and Property Clean-up, removal of all other burn debris, including burn ash from the property down to the foundation, will occur and begins after household hazardous waste is removed and Phase I is completed.
It is critical that homeowners and the public not disturb the burn ash or ash footprint of affected properties as it may jeopardize eligibility for Phase II. Removal of this ash will be done by experts during Phase I. Do not remove, dig, sift or evaluate property debris as it may contain hazards.
“To remain eligible (for Phase II), home and property owners must not disturb ash or debris on their property,” said Carroll. “If there is something that needs to be moved or retrieved from the property that is in the debris, please
call Environmental Health for information.”
Carroll said that if burn ash or ash footprint has been disturbed on affected properties, it will be up to the property owner to cleanup and remove fire-damaged debris.
Wearing personal protective equipment is imperative as fire sites are often toxic and include hazardous substances. If retrieving valuables from the fire area, protective equipment must be worn. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency website for the type of protective gear homeowners should use in this instance.
Do not dispose of firedamaged debris in residential or commercial trash collection bins. If required removal procedures are not
followed, it could imperil financial assistance and hinder the rebuilding process.
The Monterey County Office of Emergency Service and the County Administrators Office is co-leading a Recovery and Mitigation Task Force for the River, Carmel and Dolan fires, meeting regularly to manage and track all recovery and mitigation efforts postfire and pre-winter storms. Participating agencies include Monterey County Resource Management Agency — Public Works, Building Services, Environmental Services, Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Cal Fire, Monterey Regional Fire Protection
District, Cachagua Fire, California Geological Survey, National Weather Service, and California Office of Emergency Services.
Information about recovery, including a question and answer fact sheet, can be found at the Monterey County Recovery website.
For questions concerning hazardous waste, debris removal, and property cleanup procedures, contact the staff at the Monterey County Health Department, Environmental Health Bureau — Randy McMurray at 831796-1269 or Maria Ferdin at 831-755-8915. Additional references on fire recovery can be found at calepa.ca.gov/disaster/fire.