LAKE COUNTY >> Cleanup costs for the remaining commercial sites destroyed by the Valley Fire total well into six figures, according to estimates released by CalOES.
Overall, 13 sites were assessed by AJ Diani Construction, which was contracted by CalRecycle to perform debris cleanup on business lots. Yet, only six — including Harbin Hot Springs — were completed before Sacramento informed the county that they were not going to continue with the process or the financial aid.
If the seven remaining business owners cannot afford the cleanup costs, the abatements will add to the potential $2 to $3 million bill associated with the recovery of the Rocky, Valley, and Jerusalem fires.
This would add up to be 12.5 percent of the county’s general fund of approximately $32 million. District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown testified to the California Senate on Tuesday that in terms of county coffers, Lake County is the poorest in the state.
He and Sheriff Brian Martin joined Senator Mike McGuire in his presentation Senate Bill 937 to the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization. If made into law, the bill would relieve the county from paying the non-federal financial assistance share of the costs.
For many county officials, the state’s unwillingness to cover remaining business debris clean up raises questions.
“This doesn’t make sense,” District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said. “Business owners should have equal assistance as residential.”
The list and estimates obtained by the Record-Bee identified Hoberg’s Resort, Adidam Holy Domains Church, Bar X Ranch, Diamond J Ranch, and Sutter Home Winery as the businesses the state failed to clean. Costs were estimated, but it wasn’t clear if asbestos and heavy metal sampling was performed at the sites.
Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski is currently trying to obtain those reports and a more comprehensive commercial site list from the state. However, he said he was told that those reports had to be cleared by officials before they are released.
“The political thing on this is way beyond what it needs to be,” Ruminski said, adding that some businesses, like Adidam, are attempting to get these findings as well.
As for the owners themselves, the director said that some have the resources to do a cleanup job but others, such as Hoberg’s, may have trouble as they were trying to get off the ground fiscally.
“They might not be able to swing a large job,” he said.
The state reported that the Harbin debris removal cost more than $5 million. According to representative Eric Richardson, that site has been cleaned but other surrounding properties like Bar X Ranch haven’t been “remediated.”
Other business owners couldn’t be reached for this story.
