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LA FIRES - Seven months after the Los Angeles disastrous firestorm, a fast-track cleanup program was instituted, and it is now called by politicians the fastest program of its kind in American history, mission accomplished. But owners of homes lost in the fire submit other judgments. They claim that protocols were not followed, or the work performed was not thorough enough.
Rushing to finish the job may have compromised quality.
According to the governor’s office, of the 12,048 total properties destroyed in the fires, 9,873 opted to participate in the cost-free public cleanup program and 1,982 opted to complete the work themselves. In the first six months 9,195 total had been cleared of debris with several hundred more awaiting erosion control measures and final sign-off.
In a perceptive article in the Los Angeles Times, staff writer Tony Briscoe, last week wrote that more than 800 complaints were submitted to a U.S. Corps of Engineers’ hotline dedicated to the agency’s debris removal efforts from March to mid-May, and about a third of those reviewed voiced concerns over failure of debris removal as required by procedure.
The Corps of Engineers is leading this effort in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in coordination with state and local partners. The cleanup phase has many associates, including the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in conjunction with the county and the city.
The Army Corps is now involved in what is called Phase 2 of the cleanup which includes site assessment. Phase 1 was debris removal. But Briscoe writes that “hundreds of complaints detail sloppy and inconsistent work by federal contractors who were hired to remove debris.” Phase 2 is being coordinated and managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
While the wildfire turned homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades into piles of ash and ruble, it was hoped that cleanup workers would provide owners with a fresh start with rebuild-ready lots. However, wildfire victims claim that cleanup was restricted to a building footprint, the border of a building drawn along the exterior walls, leaving substantial sections of their property untouched. And some also claim that contractors hired by the Army Corps left behind debris, including car parts, fire-damaged home foundations, hazardous trees, and contaminated pool water.
Lingering, of course, and always risky is the biggest worry: toxins in the burned homes, which include arsenic, lead, mercury, asbestos and other hazards like burned propane tanks, batteries, and household chemicals.
In May, soil testing by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found elevated levels of lead and other toxic metals at homes destroyed by January’s catastrophic wildfires and cleared by federal cleanup crews. Up to six inches of topsoil should be cleared, according to protocol. But listed among the notable shortcomings was failure to remove ash-covering soil outside building footprints and not excavating to the depth established by the Army Corps.
About 27 percent of soil samples taken by Roux Associates Inc., hired by the county health department, scraped by the cleanup crews in the Eaton burn areas had lead levels above California’s state standards for residential properties.
Recovery and reconstruction following a major disaster is an extensive process that may span several years and necessitate close cooperation among various levels of government. Yet, experience teaches that local leadership possesses the most valuable insight into their local communities, making their involvement in response and recovery efforts invaluable.
Unquestionably, considerable work has been performed, yet the Times report citing 800 complaints from property owners should have alarmed city councilmembers and county supervisors. Local, steady leadership and accountability are clearly necessary at this point of the cleanup. Possibly, even a leadership model, which I detailed a few weeks ago in these pages for other city programs in disarray, may serve well here. Under that model, experienced individuals acting independently to exert influence over issues unheeded by state and national agencies, can direct outcomes through the city and county departments. Cleanup shortcomings can lead to later dreadful consequences. A diligent and scientific response to the toxin issue is a mandatory first step.
To fast-track rebuilding, the governor has issued an executive order for homes and schools affected by the disaster by suspending local permitting laws and building codes. But before our focus shifts to the ongoing rebuilding process, we must ascertain all safety parameters are met, and that the victims of the fire do not end up being victims of bureaucracy.
(Nick Patsaouras is a Los Angeles-based electrical engineer and civic leader whose firm has shaped projects across commercial, medical, and entertainment sectors. A longtime public advocate, he ran for Mayor in 1993 with a focus on rebuilding L.A. through transportation. He has served on major public boards, including the Department of Water and Power, Metro, and the Board of Zoning Appeals, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. Nick Patsaouras is also the author of "The Making of Modern Los Angeles".)
