U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, toured Altadena on Thursday morning, March 20, getting an up-close look at debris removal in the area in the aftermath of the Eaton fire.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mjr. Gen. Jason Kelly and FEMA Regional Administrator Bob Fenton led the lawmakers on the tour, which touched on the timeline for debris removal and the scope of the operations, which officials said is ahead of schedule and has been ramping up in recent days in the burn area.
“I particularly want to acknowledge the extraordinary work that’s being done by FEMA, by the Army Corps of Engineers, and by the EPA,” said Schiff, who in November was elected as a senator, after representing nearby areas for years in the House of Representatives. “This is a massive undertaking, and you get just a sense of the scope, where you look at a single property and all that needs to be done.
The Corps of Engineers has been in Phase 2 of the debris removal process for weeks, which involves clearing ash and debris from thousands of properties whose homeowners have “opted in” to the government’s program.
Phase 2 comes on the heels of Phase 1, in which Environmental Protection Agency teams removed hazardous household materials from sites, clearing the way for the Corps.
However, the presence of asbestos has posed some challenges to the efficiency of the debris removal process. Col. Sonny Avichal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Field Office commander, stated that they have been working with certified asbestos consultants certified asbestos professionals that carry out testing in a mobile asbestos lab. Test results are then expedited and, if found positive, certified asbestos crews that do asbestos abatement “by hand.”
Chu, whose district includes Altadena, said that both the Biden administration and Trump administrations have helped recovery efforts. While the Biden administration immediately declared the L.A. wildfires a federal disaster, which enabled FEMA to send help and set up recovery aid programs immediately, Trump, a few days after his inauguration in January, urged the acceleration of hazardous debris removal from three months to one month.
Both Schiff and Chu urged homeowners to opt into the “right of entry” debris removal program carried out by the Corps by March 31st, which speeds up the cleanup effort and is free of cost.
Schiff, a leader in California’s congressional delegation, who pressed FEMA to extend the deadline for federal disaster assistance, affirmed that he has been “staying on it” to make sure that additional federal funding is on the way for victims.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been pressing Congress since February to approve $40 billion in fire aid to help Los Angeles recover from the January wildfires.
“We’ve been working with the governor’s office, with the majority leader, and the [Trump] administration to support this request to try to identify at what part of the budgetary process and the appropriation process about how we are going to be able to seek these sorts of funds,” said Schiff said.
But Schiff noted that getting these funds approved is dependent on the resolution of the budget fight that consumed Congress last week over a stopgap bill to keep the government funded.
“I think it’s pretty clear that it was not going to be in the Republican-written-only bill. We’re going to need more supplemental appropriations to get through this as well as to meet other exigencies,” Schiff said.
He argued that “operating by budget on autopilot” gives no opportunity to adjust for circumstances like a major disaster, which is one of the reasons Schiff voted against the continuing resolution, which President Trump signed last week.
As it stands, Schiff assured that the money that is being allocated from FEMA to the Army Corps to make sure work continues is sufficient so far, but that additional funds will be needed down the line.
“I believe there’s bipartisan support to make sure the federal government continues to remain a good partner when states experience these kinds of disasters which, with the climate changing, we’re going to see more and more of,” Schiff said.
“Wildfires have no political affiliation,” Chu said. “North Carolina, at the same time, asked for $45 billion in disaster (aid). So we have blue states, we have red states, that all need the disaster aid.”
Schiff is no stranger to Altadena. Prior to serving as a U.S. senator, Schiff’s tenure in the House included holding the seat in now redistricted districts that once included Altadena. Chu now represents a redrawn district that includes the town.
After seeing the “Altadena is not for sale” signs posted around the neighborhood, both Schiff and Chu expressed hope Altadena residents could come back and rebuild.
From its historic Black community to its musical and creative community, Rep. Chu stated, Altadena has a “unique history,” which she hopes will be preserved in the rebuilt town. Chu said she felt “encouraged” by the “Altadena is not for sale” signs, which have assured her that the “very special” Altadena community will rebuild.
“I know that there are some predatory buyers out there that are probably offering pennies on the dollar. And people are desperate… But we want, Altadena to, once again, be the vibrant, beautiful, diverse community it’s always been,” Schiff said.