Starting Tuesday, Jan. 28, residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the region’s recent wildfires had a choice. They could begin to formally opt in to having the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear debris from their homes – for free.
But it will take a minute even to get to that point. First, the hazardous material must be cleared. Then comes everything else, which you can either get done for free or pay for.
Here’s a look at the process.
How does the debris removal work?
The debris removal process is currently in Phase 1, which is the removal of hazardous materials from properties by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the debris areas are safe for people to enter.
Do I need to sign up?
While residents do not need to sign up for Phase 1 of the cleanup, destroyed or damaged properties must be cleared by the EPA in order to move on to Phase 2.
It’s this Phase 2 process, where you need to sign up, by opting in or out.
Beginning Tuesday, “Right of Entry” forms were made available, allowing residents to opt in or out of the clearance program. Details are available online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/.
Does the Phase 1 removal cost me anything?
It’s free.
What constitutes hazardous materials?
The EPA will remove potentially dangerous everyday products like:
- Paint
- Cleaners and solvents
- Oils
- Batteries
- Pesticides
- The EPA will remove lithium-ion batteries from vehicles, homes, and other products. EPA will remove visible asbestos and inspect pressurized fuel cylinders (like propane tanks).
- EPA field teams will also remove items thought to have asbestos if they are easy to identify, but the property will not be fully cleared until Phase 2 (debris removal).
Where does all this hazardous material go?
The EPA is opening two sites — one in Malibu and the other in Azusa — for the collection and sorting of hazardous materials taken from the recent Palisades and Eaton wildfires. The San Gabriel Valley site, however, has sparked opposition among neighboring cities.
The Malibu waste collection site will be for debris from the Palisades fire and is located on empty parcels roughly located near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, said Rusty Harris-Bishop, a site cleanup section manager for the U.S. EPA.
The site for Eaton fire debris is at Lario Park, a Los Angeles County park at 15701 Foothill Blvd., located along the eastern bank of the San Gabriel River in Azusa, Harris-Bishop and local officials reported. City officials from Azusa, Duarte, Irwindale and Baldwin Park all oppose the location.
How long does the hazardous material clean up take?
It remains unclear how long the EPA hazardous-waste removal will take
OK. The hazardous stuff is gone. Now what?
That’s where Phase 2 comes in.
Once the EPA clears (for free) the hazardous stuff on your property, property owners must make sure they get a clearance to move on to Phase 2.
Once complete, the EPA will place a sign on your property.
It’ll look something like this: 
Then, in Phase 2, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be able to move in and physically remove the debris from properties whose owners opt-in to the free removal program.
Residents can also opt out of the program and hire their own contractors to conduct the work.
What’s the timeline for all of this?
Officials have said that while the EPA phase is expected to move quickly, there will be a significant gap in time before the Corps of Engineers begins its debris-removal phase.
Where the debris will ultimately be taken remains a work in progress, Pestrella said. He said no matter the final destination, the debris will be sorted before being sent to landfills or recycling centers.
What are my local leaders saying about this process?
The county Department of Public Works is coordinating the debris-removal process in conjunction with the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers.
On Friday, President Donald Trump took a tour of the Palisades Fire burn area, and said later that residents should be allowed to immediately access their properties to clear debris — dismissing the idea that anything hazardous remains since the homes were largely reduced to rubble.
EPA officials insist, however, that household hazardous wastes, such as oils, paints, lithium-ion batteries, pesticides and propane tanks present a danger to returning residents, particularly if their containers were damaged in the fire.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said residents will be permitted to do their own debris removal if they choose, but only when it is safe to do so.
City News Service contributed to this article.