The EPA is only removing the hazardous waste. They’re not cleaning the rest of the debris from the area.
It IS true for this instance. Throwing away an old battery is much different from cleaning up from a wide spread disaster such as these fires.
No. This small bit of American has gone from living a mile away from your neighbor to living 20 feet away. When people live close together, they need more rules to keep their neighbor’s stupidity from intruding on their life. That’s part of why there’s building codes. I don’t want bad electric wiring in my neighbor’s house to cause a fire that can spread to mine. He doesn’t have to have the best wiring, just good enough meet some minimum standard. That’s the result of communal living.
Los Angeles County is dedicated to restoring our communities swiftly and safely after the recent wildfires. The debris removal process is divided into two main phases, each managed by different agencies. Residents have the option to participate in the government-run program or manage the cleanup independently by opting out.
I did and I see the part you are talking about but it isn’t clear whether they will approve you to do it yourself. They say and approved contractor but home owner rights are usually approved.
If I get my trees cut down on my property I have to use a contractor approved by the city. But if I do it myself they can’t say anything about it. I do not have to go to any schools nor have a license.
You have to dump somewhere legal (e.g., not into the ocean, not down some ravine, not not….) and in the end that basically means a licensed hauler takes debris by load type to the correct type(s) of dump(s). Of course you can pay a premium and go to the head of the line to clear your lot, but at a big expense, and for what? To start building before your neighbors? But the utilities (power gone, water and sewage probably damaged and needing rebuild and not functioning) will not be there until they are there for your neighbors, and that will mostly be after the debris is gone.
Live on a trailer on your cleared lot surrounded by debris on other lots? Sure. Sounds delightful.
Also consider the liability with a self cleaned lot, uncerified, it would also become uninsurable, unsaleable, a death spiral in many ways, including economically…
On safes, most have heat absorbing materials in the walls. And are certified to protect contents from heat of fire for a specified period. I suspect certified by Underwriter Labs.
That implies a fire that can be controlled fairly soon. When out of control for days, fire protection may be inadequate.
Most people seem not to be aware of the time rating or its meaning.
I do not believe that is true. You are still getting it checked by the EPA.
You all have forgotten that you pay to dump trash. All you have to do is figure out where the correct place is to dump. It is amazing that you all think that someone, without a college degree, can figure this out and start a business but you all can’t?
This really isn’t rocket science. I can understand why many of you would rather not get your hands dirty but there are many of us that actually prefer to do our own work.
Park your ignorant condescension, for civil courtesy’s sake at least, but I suggest also because condescension on top of arrogant ignorance is…disgusting.
I still have my beloved pulaski, which on one occasion might well have saved my life, well worn but still sharp and with a well preserved handle, from my years as a mostly volunteer but at times paid back country fire fighter.
Never mind dirty hands, how about singed eyebrows and deeply callused hands?
And I have done loading and dumping at dumps. Guess what? For the job at hand you want something more than a handshovel, you want a full loading rig, and those are currently in short supply in Los Angeles.
I do not know how this will move forward, but I expect it will be like the last set of Los Angeles terror fires I have witnessed and the smart move will be to unite with neighbors to push for speed, and then to cheer the skilled crews who show up to clear the dangerous stuff first and then to haul the rest away, block by tragic block.
As a side note, this community of intelligent literate people need to know of and hopefully read this emblematic, even definitive (including of listing things hopelessly undefinable and unknowable):
It was written by the same great author who wrote the novel A River Runs Through It, the basis for the Redford directed movie of the same name
In my family the book rested next to our Bibles, in memorial to a childhood friend of my father who was one of those who died in that terror.
I’m not talking about paints, batteries, etc. I’m talking about contaminated soils. Asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, there’s all sorts of nasty chemicals in building products. Homeowners can and do opt out of cleaning up their properties.
If they have brains. Or unless they have highly skilled relatives with trucks and tools to call upon. And guess what? When hundreds of homes burn it makes sense to clean up, plan, and rebuild jointly.
I am pretty sure you are the ignorant one here. The only one that is arrogant on these boards is you. Your have already forgotten your roots. Shame on you.
Sure you do and I am sure it is gold plated.
Bull, many people have done it with a wheel barrel and a shovel. Even a genius like you can work a wheel barrel, maybe. People have been cleaning up their land forever. The only ones who listen to you are people that are unable or have the means to wait. Others, that have the real need, the working class that live in those areas, will work to clean their property up.
Give me a break. What you do not understand is that in Montana they used to ask people driving down the road to fight wild fires. Everybody was happy to help. You act like dirty and callused hands were a badge of honor. It was a fact of life.
To get a building permit for the demolition, homeowners will need an inspection for other wastes that the EPA isn’t including. If those wastes are found, a licensed contractor will need to remove those wastes before any other demolition or debris clean up can proceed.