Property owners in the Government Debris removal Program

There are seven stages in the Government Debris Removal Program. After fire debris and ash are removed from your property (stage four), the soil samples and erosion control must still be completed. The last stage is for the State to notify the County that the property is clean. The County then provides a final sign off and notifies the property owner. Visit the Phase II Map located at www.buttecountyrecovers.org/maps to see the stages and track your property.

You will receive a letter in the mail at the address provided on the Right-of-Entry form informing you the property cleanup is complete once the final sign off is done.

The Town of Paradise or Butte County Building Departments will be notified that the property cleanup has been completed and that permits may be issued.

Property owners in the Alternative Debris removal Program

You will receive a letter by e-mail at the address provided in Appendix F of the Alternative Work Plan for your property. The letter will be mailed to you at the address provided if no email is provided. The letter will be sent after Appendix F and the confirmation soil sampling report are reviewed and approved.

The Town of Paradise or Butte County Building Departments will be notified that the property cleanup has been completed and that permits may be issued.

You may also check the status of your property cleanup online by visiting the County’s online permit center at, https://permits.buttecounty.net/eTRAKiT/Search/case.aspx and search choosing your Parcel Number or Address. The status, Property Clean-up Completed indicates the property is clean and ready for building.

The Consolidated Debris Removal Program (Program) has two phases: removal of household hazardous waste and removal of other fire-related debris.

In Phase I, local government, state and federal agencies have organized teams of experts from the California State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to inspect your property and remove any household hazardous waste that may pose a threat to human health, animals, and the environment such as batteries, herbicide, pesticide, propane tanks, asbestos siding, and paints. Phase I is automatic and includes both residential and commercial properties destroyed by the fire.

In Phase II, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local officials coordinate with the State’s Debris Task Force and its Debris Management Teams (DMT) to conduct fire-related debris removal from your property if you have elected to participate in the program by completing and signing a Right-of-Entry (ROE) Form.

Phase I (household hazardous waste): You do not need to do anything to have household hazardous waste removed from your property. Operations are automatic and already underway.

Phase II (remaining fire-related debris): To sign up for the Phase II Program, you will complete an ROE form to grant government contractors access to your property to conduct the debris removal. Please provide insurance information with the ROE as applicable. Visit ButteCountyRecovers.org to download the ROE.

Submittal for unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county can be made at these locations:

• RETURN VIA MAIL OR IN PERSON TO:
  Butte County Environmental Health, 202 Mira Loma Dr., Oroville CA 95965
• RETURN IN PERSON ONLY:
  Disaster Recovery Center at the Chico Mall, 1982 E. 20th Street in Chico
• E-MAIL TO: ROE@buttecounty.net

First, the ROE Center reviews your ROE to ensure it has been filled out correctly. They will also cross check property records to verify you are the property owner. Afterwards, the ROE will be transferred to the DMT for processing and scheduling.

The DMT will mark the property indicating that household hazardous waste has been removed.

This debris removal program is for fire-damaged or destroyed houses, as directed by local government. If you are unsure if your house qualifies for the debris- removal program, submit a Right-of-Entry form to your local government for assessment.

Household hazardous waste is waste from houses that poses a threat to public health, animals, or the environment. Hazardous waste includes chemicals that are ignitable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive. Examples include pool chemicals, car batteries, antifreeze, used oil filters, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, propane tanks, disinfectants, aerosols, paint, bleach, and ammunition.

Teams handling hazardous waste will not remove appliances or electronic wastes, such as TV and computer monitors, computers processing units, or cell phones. These materials will be removed as part of the overall debris removal process.

Household hazardous waste must be removed without delay to protect public health and safety. This is an emergency protective measure. Hazardous waste could have significant long-term environmental impacts and should not be combined with the waste from the general clean-up that is going to the landfill.

Removal of hazardous waste from the fire debris prevents these environmental contaminants from polluting the environment, and protects the workers and the public from exposure during debris removal efforts.

Removal crews are specifically certified to handle household hazardous waste.

Crews have already begun removal of hazardous household waste. Removal of fire debris, other than hazardous household waste, is scheduled to begin in January of 2019.

There are a number of factors that determine when your lot will be scheduled for debris removal. Contractors are responsible for planning their work, based on priorities set by Cal OES and partners, with input from local government and city governments, to maximize efficiency.

Crews scrape 3 – 6” of soil from the ash footprint and samples are sent to a state-approved lab for analysis. The results are compared against background samples taken from areas in the vicinity that are not directly impacted by fire to ensure that all contaminated ash was removed. If necessary, more soil is removed and the site is retested until it comes back clear of contaminants. All soil testing results are returned to the DMT for final review and validation.

Once the DMT have ensured that contractors have removed all debris and soil testing meets California state standards, contractors will return to install erosion control methods. The DMT will then report to your local government that your lot is clear. Your local government will then notify you that your property is safe and ready for rebuilding.

Yes. If you decide to remove fire-related debris from your property, you must obtain all the necessary permits and environmental clearances from your local government before your contractors start any work.

Visiting your property will NOT jeopardize your claims for disaster assistance. Property owners who desire to search for possible salvageable items should do so with caution and with proper protective gear: eye protection, masks, gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Residents should minimize contact with fire debris, which may contain materials that can be hazardous to your health and are not able to move fire debris on or off of their property. For more information visit:

https://buttecountyrecovers.org/re-entry
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR18-056.aspx
https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/upload/Fire_Emergency_Guidance_FS_1.pdf

The safety of the general public and workers is a priority during debris operations. To prevent safety hazards, the public is encouraged to stay away from areas where debris removal operations are underway. Exclusion zones will be established surrounding the current work area to ensure safety of the public.

The DMT will use erosion controls on the site as well as use silt collection devices around storm drains to minimize impacts to rivers, streams and the aquifers. They are also taking measures such as wrapping the debris in trucks to minimize particles traveling from the air to the water.

The State’s Debris Task Force’s safety professionals and contractor safety staff ensure work is complying with all OSHA, Cal/OSHA and state and federal EPA standards.

Contractors are required to comply with all local, state and federal laws and regulations regarding safety and the environment. Whenever there is a conflict between codes or regulations, the most stringent regulation is applied.

All initial costs will be paid by state and federal agencies. However, if property owners have homeowners insurance covering debris removal, owners must inform local officials by indicating that coverage on their ROE. Homeowners may be required to remit that portion of their insurance proceeds specifically reserved for debris.

Yes. However, to avoid a duplication of benefits provided by the state or federal government, your insurance company may be required to provide payment from your policy designated for debris removal to the government.

It depends on the policy that you have. There are generally two types of debris removal coverages in a homeowner’s insurance policy:

• Specified Amount: If your homeowner’s insurance policy contains a separate, debris-specific clause, the local government will only collect the specified amount designated in the debris removal clause. These clauses are typically capped at a percentage of the coverage amounts listed in the policy (for example, 5 percent of the value of a primary structure, other structure, and personal property). You will not owe the local government any additional money, even if the actual costs to remove the debris exceeded the amount designated in your insurance policy for debris removal.
• No Specified Amount: If your homeowner’s insurance policy does not have a separate, debris-specific clause and instead includes the costs of debris removal in the total coverage, the local government will only collect insurance proceeds for debris removal after you have rebuilt your home. The local government will only collect any available insurance proceeds, if any, after the rebuild. If there are no remaining funds, the homeowner will not owe the local government any additional money for debris removal.

No. The local government will only seek reimbursement from the insurance carrier as stated above. The local government will not attempt to collect any insurance proceeds designated for rebuilding.

Yes. If you have a specified amount for debris removal in your insurance policy, you may use your insurance proceeds to remove fire related debris that is ineligible for removal under the program (e.g., swimming pools, patios, trees, etc…). The local government will only collect remaining insurance proceeds, if any, after you have removed ineligible fire related debris.

If your homeowner’s insurance policy does not have a separate, debris-specific clause and instead includes the costs of debris removal in the total coverage, you may use these proceeds to pay for the removal of fire related debris that is ineligible for removal under the program. The local government will only collect remaining insurance proceeds, if any, after you have removed ineligible fire related debris.

In either scenario, the property owner will be required to substantiate all expenditures.

The State’s Debris Task Force will choose a prime contractor who will hire subcontractors. The State’s Debris Task Force will make every effort to encourage the prime contractor to use local subcontractors.

If you have any questions regarding the Consolidated Debris Removal Program, send them to debrisquestions@caloes.ca.gov or visit our website at wildfirerecovery.org.

If you have any questions about completing the Right-of-Entry form for Phase II of the Debris Removal Program, send them to roe@buttecounty.net or call 530.552.3155.

The county will collect whatever remains available for debris removal, if anything, after a rebuild is complete, or after the property owner has elected to take a cash out amount and/or purchase a home elsewhere.

The answer to this question depends on your individual insurance policy. There are generally two types of homeowners’ insurance policies. In rare circumstances, an insurance policy will pay the actual cash value of the home and there may be no coverage for debris removal. In that case, the county will not collect anything. This stands whether or not the property owner rebuild, purchase a home elsewhere, or exercises neither option. Under an insurance policy that requires payment of replacement cost for the loss of the home, there will be debris removal coverage and the County will collect against that coverage. There may be other types of insurance policies that differ from the above two. Property owners with those policies should clarify debris removal coverage with their insurance companies.