LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Director is asking the federal government for millions of dollars in assistance to pay for the debris cleanup in the wake of the Valley and Butte fires.
Director Mark Ghilarducci made the request Oct. 1 in a letter to Elizabeth Zimmerman, associate administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of Response and Recovery, in an effort to expedite the economic recovery of the counties primarily impacted by the fires, particularly Lake and Calaveras counties.
In his letter, Ghilarducci said it's important to the economies of the two counties that debris removal take place so rebuilding can start, with the state having to be involved in the cleanup process because both counties have determined the volume of debris is beyond their capabilities to manage and remove.
Citing predictions by the National Weather Service for inclement weather that could begin by mid-October in Northern California, Ghilarducci said of federal assistance, “time is of the essence.”
The Valley fire, which began Sept. 12 in Cobb, has burned 76,067 acres, destroyed 1,958 structures – of which more than 1,300 are homes – and left thousands displaced in Lake County. Four people also lost their lives in the fire.
Cal Fire reported that the Valley fire is the third most damaging fire in California history, behind the 1991 Oakland Hills fire and the 2003 Cedar fire.
The Butte fire, which began Sept. 9, has burned 70,868 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties, destroyed 475 homes and claimed two lives. It is listed as the seventh most damaging fire in California's history.
Gov. Jerry Brown proclaimed a state of emergency for Calaveras County on Sept. 11 and for Lake County on Sept. 13 because of the fires.
On Oct. 2, Gov. Brown also issued an executive order to accelerate the process of installing emergency housing in Lake and Calaveras counties for fire victims, as Lake County News has reported.
In his letter to FEMA's Zimmerman, Ghilarducci made a request for federal Public Assistance funds, which are designed to support the recovery of public infrastructure and clearance of fire debris that poses a threat to public health and safety and to the environment, according to Cal OES.
Ghilarducci's office said the funds build on other federal assistance already provided to assist individuals and families who have suffered losses.
On Sept. 21, the governor asked President Barack Obama for presidential major disaster declarations for the fires, which Obama granted for Lake County on the following day, with the Butte fire added to the declaration on Sept. 23.
That declaration has triggered Individual Assistance through FEMA, which is in Lake County to register fire victims to begin the process of determining their eligibility for help to repair and replace housing, and other personal property not covered by insurance.
In just a matter of days after the president's declaration, FEMA had more than 2,300 registrations for both the Butte and Valley fires, as Lake County News has reported. The deadline to register is Nov. 23. For more information visit www.disasterassistance.gov .
Ghilarducci said in his letter that a preliminary damage assessment found an estimated impact to the state of $97,913,559 from the two fires. The majority of that figure is associated with debris removal, including debris on private property.
After deducting from that $97.9 million figure the debris removal costs that are not eligible for federal consideration, Ghilarducci said the assessed eligible costs for federal Public Assistance are $66,670,344, which he said amounts to a $657.96 per capita impact in Lake County and a $164.72 per capita impact in Calaveras County.
“The State of California understands that typically private property owners are responsible for removal of debris after a disaster,” Ghilarducci said. “However, where the magnitude of the disaster creates an enormous amount of debris, it is in the public's interest to remove this debris expeditiously in order to eliminate threats to life, public health, and safety and to ensure economic recovery of the affected community.”
The potential impacts on public health have been a focus for local officials.
Lake County Health Officer Karen Tait declared a public health emergency in Lake County on Sept. 15, which was amended on Sept. 22 to reiterate the urgent nature of the hazardous debris.
The Board of Supervisors will consider extending Tait's proclamation when it meets on Tuesday.
Tait's report to the board notes that removal of hazardous materials and remediation of burned properties is currently under way, however, “it is early in the process, such that only a portion of ash and other hazardous, or potentially hazardous materials has been removed.”
She also noted, “Families have re-entered burned areas that may pose both acute and chronic health risks as well as threats to the environment if timely and appropriate clean-up efforts are not supported.”
On Sept. 22, Calaveras County also proclaimed a public health emergency due to hazardous debris.
Ghilarducci's letter stated that both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency have determined the ash and debris from burned residential structures contain hazardous materials – including concentrated amounts of heavy metals – that pose a health risk to the public and environment.
As such, he said the California Environmental Protection Agency is currently conducting random testing to determine the specific level of contamination in the debris.
Because many of the homes in the affected communities were constructed prior to 1980, officials anticipate the debris will contain toxic materials such as asbestos, which was a binding agent in building materials used at that time.
Ghilarducci said the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, is managing the overall debris removal operations due to the two fires.
Todd Thalhamer, a CalRecycle engineer who created the debris removal program, grew up in Middletown and told community members at a meeting there on Sept. 24 that he would lead the local cleanup, with a goal of having it completed by Christmas.
However, that is expected to be a challenge due to the impact on state resources, based on Ghilarducci's letter.
Ghilarducci reported that the Valley and Butte fire represent the fifth and sixth debris operations, respectively, for CalRecycle in California within the last 12 months, beginning with last year's Boles Fire in Weed in Siskiyou County, the Round Fire in Mono County, the Rocky Fire in Lake County, and five fires in Trinity County – the Fork, Route, Mad River, South and River complexes.
“The cumulative impact of all the wildfires have depleted California's resources and are hindering its ability to effectively respond and recover,” Ghilarducci said.
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State Office of Emergency Services director seeks federal assistance for Valley, Butte fire cleanups
- Elizabeth Larson
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