LAKE COUNTY >> Lake County will receive just over $43 million in federal funds toward debris removal. The amount is the smaller portion of $107 million in Public Assistance monies dedicated to the Butte and Valley Fires.
According to Federal Emergency Management Agency reports, the Public Assistance program money will go to CalRecycle to reimburse a large portion of costs incurred from the cleanup. Nearly $63.7 million will be given for the Butte Fire in Calaveras County and about $43.3 million will be set aside for the Valley Fire.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program was created to provide grants for the repair and rebuilding of infrastructure, including public roads and other systems. The program also provides reimbursement for eligible debris removal and emergency protective measures.
Yet, this doesn’t cover the full cost of private lot cleanup — the state has to pick up the rest of the tab. Under the Robert T. Stafford Act, the federal organization’s share of the debris removal must be at least 75 percent, which the release said is shouldering for the two fires.
In total, the private lot cleanup will cost $143 million dollars. The state’s share should be around $36 million.
According to Lake County Public Information Officer Jill Ruzicka, the county will not have to incur any of the remaining costs for private properties—a cleanup that is close to completion.
Ruzicka also said that CalOES and FEMA’s presence is starting to wane as the first phase of debris removal operations has been completed. The Disaster Recovery Operation Center in Middletown will close tomorrow and the Area Field Office officially closed today.
However, there are approximately 30 sites that won’t be cleaned until late March or early April because of “weather-related issues” making them inaccessible for the moment.
“CalRecycle will look to address debris removal for additional sites identified by Lake County where owners have not signed up for debris removal and have not begun the cleanup progress,” Ruzicka said in press statement, also claiming that crews have cleared 1,130 sites since Oct. 3, 2015.
Although the state and FEMA are scaling back, CalRecycle contractors will still continue with erosion control measures.
The Lake County Department of Environmental Health will now be the main point of contact for debris removal operations, Ruzicka said.
