Greetings!
ECA Newsletter
11-2-17
Fire Debris Removal Information
There has been a lot of information and misinformation out there to sift through. The ECA will try to handle information in two parts. This Newsletter will only give you information regarding how to go to work if you are wanting to be involved in the State Sponsored Consolidated Debris Removal Program. Another Newsletter will come out in a few days addressing how to provide your clients the option of performing the work on an “opt out” basis (i.e. that is the property owner does not want the State to come in under the Right of Entry form and do the “free” debris cleanup). I will say that if you want to participate in the “opt out” debris cleanup, you will need to get your guys certified with a 40 hour haz wop class that the ECA is putting on with Eric Peterson from Mill Creek Safety. Those 40 hour classes will be M-F the next few weeks and the cost per employee through the ECA is $800 per employee. All employees on the ground will need this 40 hour Haz Wop cert. If you are interested in this, please call Eric Peterson directly at 707-292-1405 or Mary at 707-546-5500 or email mary@nceca.org. There is room for the next class starting on Monday, November 6 at 8am right now.
To go to work under the State Sponsored Consolidated Debris Removal Program, here is the information needed.
Clean-up Work under Cal OES
• Due to the size and scope of the fire damage, the Cal OES has contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers to administer the clean-up effort. At this time, the Corps has selected one prime contractor, ECC, a multinational environmental contractor based in Burlingame, to perform and oversee all clean-up work. ECC has partnered with UCON member Pacific States Environmental Contractors, Inc. to perform the work and oversee the subcontractor selection process.
• Currently, the plan is to divide the work into 2 week task orders through the duration of the clean-up effort. The terms of the full terms of the task orders and how contractors will be selected to perform the work are still being worked out.
• If you are interested in performing any of the wildfire clean-up work, please reach out to the following:
o Please note that only contractors the meet the following criteria should apply:
Possess a Class A or Class C21 License
Employees should possess or will shortly receive HAZWOPER certification
HOW TO TRAIN AND RECERTIFY YOUR WORKFORCE
Due to the increased demand for HAZWOPER certifications and training, the Laborers and OE3 have their access to offerings.
OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 3
Operating Engineers Local No. 3 (OE3) will be offering three (3) 40-hour Hazmat trainings starting over the next month – Yuba City (1) and Rohnert Park (2), in October and November. Additionally, they are offering a number of HAZMAT recertification trainings across Northern California through April 2018. The current training calendar and the flyer for the HAZMAT re-certifications are attached – you can also find them on the OE3 Training website, https://www.oe3.org/training-california/
For further questions and information, please contact the Rancho Murieta Training Center at 916-354-2029.
LABORERS
Laborers Local 185 covering Sutter, Yuba, Butte and Nevada Counties · Training @L185: Hazardous waste 40 hour (Haz Woper 40) at Sacramento Hall – Saturday & Sunday on November 11 & 12, and 18 & 19.
• For information on scheduling additional training for your employees contact: Doyle Radford, Jr., Vice President & Business Agent – doylejr@laborerslocal185.org or 916-765-1277
Laborers Local 324 covering Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties
• Training @L324: Hazardous waste 40 hour (Haz Woper 40) at Santa Rosa Hall – Starts Monday, November 6th – Friday training in Martinez (five/8 hour days)
• For information on scheduling additional training for your employees contact: Larry Proctor, Business Agent – proctor.larry@ymail.com or 916-710-5195
Laborers Local 67 covering Asbestos, Lead and Mold Abatement in 46 counties in Northern CA
• Training @L67: Asbestos/lead Removal Training schedule information available on website at: http://laborerslocal67.org/Calendar.html
• For information on scheduling additional training for your employees contact: Victor Parra, Business Manager – victor@laborerslocal67.org or 510-566-8698
That’s All Folks!
John Bly
Facebook Post
Disclaimer-this is a fluid situation and not all information is available yet. Please excuse the lengthiness of this post-it is unavoidable.
Here are some things to consider in the decision of opting in vs opting out for property owners.
First-Phase 1 is mandatory and is an EPA sweep of each property for collecting and disposing of Household Hazardous Waste. This needs to be completed prior to any debris removal. Phase 2 is the debris removal. Property owners do have a choice to opt in to the State Sponsored debris cleanup or opt out.
If you opt in to State Sponsored Cleanup-you full out the Right of Entry form by Nov 13 and assign your insurance benefits specific for debris removal over to the State. The State will, on Nov 14, implement a work plan based upon the number and location of the submitted and qualified ROE’s. Army Corps of Engineers will direct crews to cleanup residential fire debris and foundations. They will not remove pools, driveways, non-dangerous trees, or retaining walls. They will remove water from Pools and punch hole in bottom of pool. (This is being confirmed, have had word that they might not punch holes in the pools) They will install erosion control mitigation on your property. They will not lien your property for difference in actual cost of cleanup vs insurance coverage for debris cleanup.
If you opt out by Nov 13- you will not receive and government assistance for your debris cleanup. Property owners will pay for cleanup themselves and with their insurance company. Property owners will have to fill out a form by Nov 13 identifying a work plan, their testing firm, their contractor, and they will have to, presumably, be responsible for their own erosion control install on their property. Property owners opting out will have to remove their foundations or hire structural engineers to test and approve the integrity of those foundations not removed. At this time the application form needed has not been made public and both the County and City have made it clear they are not “enthusiastic” about the opt out choice. There are other constraints on those that opt out regarding where debris can go that will likely add to the cost of opting out.
I understand the deadline of Nov 13 is imposing. Property owners, in order to make an informed decision as to opting in or out, would need to have a certified testing consultant survey their debris to determine how much, if any, debris was able to be transported to landfills that would accept it. There is no way to accurately estimate the costs of private cleanup without testing and reviewing the analytical info from those tests prior to Nov 13. The Nov 13 deadline has been set by FEMA, they say, in order to deal with the health hazard the debris presents in an efficient and timely manner.
I have voiced the property owner’s concern to the County that the deadline does not allow enough time to make their decision. If property owners do not opt in or out, their property could be deemed an abatement problem and Army Corps crews could clean up the property and assess those costs against the property owners along with other costs of abatement. That process could cause problems and delays in rebuilding or selling the property.
I hope this is helpful. Again, the ECA is very sympathetic to the property owner’s plight. The decision to opt in or out is a personal one that property owners should discuss with their insurance companies.
Time is short folks-
John Bly, ECA
