Phase 2 Debris Removal Underway, Tree Markings Explained

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Los Angeles County Recovers provided updates regarding Phase 2 Debris Removal on Wednesday, March 5—a “key step” on the road to recovery and rebuilding.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced completion of Phase 1 of wildfire hazardous debris cleanup for the Eaton and Palisades fires. Phase 1—Household Hazardous Waste Removal—was managed by EPA under executive orders and needed to be complete before beginning Phase 2 clearing of structural debris.

The first phase involved “assessing and safely removing hazardous materials,” including paints, cleaners, pesticides, fuel, propane tanks, batteries and more from impacted residential and commercial parcels.

During a town hall hosted by Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, March 4, EPA representative Rusty Harris-Bishop explained that there were 6,981 residential parcels and 129 commercial parcels that needed to be inspected in the Palisades fire area. Of those, EPA was able to clear 4,349 residential parcels and 77 commercial parcels.

In the Palisades area, 2,632 residential parcels and 52 commercial parcels were deferred, which means that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be responsible for the removal and safe disposal of the waste.

“USACE can remove hazardous materials without a signed right of entry, as the EPA did,” according to a statement. “If a right of entry is already in place for Phase 2 debris removal, both phases may be conducted back-to-back for efficiency.”

By March 8, the Army Corps confirmed that it had cleared 50% of the Phase 1 deferred properties between the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Phase 2 is the Comprehensive Debris Removal Program. Residents have two options for Phase 2: opting in to the county’s debris removal program, which is being led by the Army Corps and Colonel Eric Swenson, or opting out of the county-run program and hiring a private contractor. The deadline to opt in or out of the program is March 31.

Property owners affected by the fire can opt in by submitting a right of entry form. Los Angeles County Public Works reported that over 2,000 ROEs have been submitted in the last three weeks and made it a goal to speed up approvals, as reported during the March 4 town hall.

Public Works reviews ROEs by verifying property ownership through assessor records, and confirms all required documentation and signatures. After submission, residents should receive a confirmation email—if additional information is needed, residents will receive a follow-up email from roe@dpw.lacounty.gov.

Property owners choosing to manage debris removal through a private contractor must submit an opt-out form, show proof of EPA Phase 1 clearance and obtain approval before removing fire debris. Owners must apply for a permit through the EPIC-LA system.

Under Phase 2, LA County Recovers said residents can expect a number of things—from the removal of hazardous trees to noise. In a recent informational video, Swenson presented the criteria for identifying hazardous trees and explained the process for removing them.

“We only remove trees that 1. pose an immediate safety risk to the public or work crews 2. are within the ash footprint and must be removed to safely clear debris, or 3. have been evaluated by a certified arborist and have been determined to be dead or expected to die within five years,” Swenson explained.

Property owners who wish to preserve specific trees deemed hazardous must complete a waiver. The Waiver of Hazardous Tree Removal form can be accessed online at recovery.lacounty.gov, and must be submitted in person to an Army Corps contractor during a site visit, complete with a site sketch and list of trees to preserve.

After being assessed, trees will be seen with different markings.

“We understand how important trees are to this community,” Swenson said in the video. “Not every tree that has been marked will be removed.”

Trees with blue dots and a barcode tag placed near its base have been determined to be hazardous and are scheduled for removal. Trees where a property owner has submitted a hazardous tree removal waiver will be marked with a yellow dot at the base and a yellow ribbon wrapped around the tree. If a tree has been reassessed and determined to be non-hazardous, it will be marked with a brown dot over the existing blue dot.

During Phase 2, Palisadians can also expect noise from construction crews, as well as more trucks on the road.

“Our crews start early and work long hours to get this work done as quickly as possible,” Swenson said. “Every sound of progress means another home, another school, another piece of our community is getting closer to being restored.”

For more information and updates, visit recovery.lacounty.gov.