LOWER LAKE >> Cleanup from the Clayton Fire has finally started to come to an end. The Lake County’s Department of Health Services this week asked for what is likely to be its last renewal of the Proclamation of the Local Health Emergency.
The proclamation was introduced after the Clayton Fire in Lake County that started in August of 2016. The purpose of it was to remove hazardous waste that are toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive from property sites that have been destroyed or damaged and may put a threat on public safety.
Under the proclamation, the CalRecycle Removal Operations Plan (ROP) cleaned up a total of 155 lots of identified hazardous materials. Private contractors completed work at over 40 more properties.
According to Raymond Ruminski, Environmental Health Director, there are fewer than seven properties that still need to be finished.
“It’s been good and efficient. It’s started later than I wanted, but progressed well once we got going,” Ruminski said.
The cleanup could not have been completed without the help of those who were involved in it Ruminski pointed out, including their Operations Chief Todd Thalhamer who has been involved in multiple cleanups in the county.
“Our community wouldn’t be able to be rebuilding right now without the exceptional efforts of everyone who has been involved,” Moke Simon, representative of District 1 in Lake County said.
Other projects, such as tree removal and other recovery efforts still remain intact under the Proclamation of a Declaration of a Local Emergency due to the Clayton Fire.
“It’s been our life for the last 18 months or so and will continue to be that way for a lot of us,” Lake County District 5 representative Rob Brown said. “There’s a ton of people out there who have put in a lot of efforts.”
Sheriff and Office Emergency Services Director Brian Martin said the recent storms have shown it is necessary to keep the proclamation in effect and how the rain has worsened the conditions of the previous fires.
“We see ongoing issues of debris clean up removal, and funding is necessary for assistance in these efforts,” Martin said.
Continuous efforts will still be in place while the proclamation is still in effect.
