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Malibu surfside news | February 7, 2019 | 7
Clock resets for debris-removal choice
County extends
application
deadline to Feb. 15
Lauren Coughlin, Editor
FEMA’s disaster assistance deadline extended to Feb. 15
Submitted by Federal
Emergency Management
Agency
With a mere hour and a
half remaining to submit
applications for fire debris
removal in Los Angeles
County, residents were
given a reprieve on the
Thursday, Jan. 31 deadline.
Now, property owners
have until Feb. 15 to make
up their minds.
The latest data the City
of Malibu had available
the morning of Thursday,
Jan. 31, indicated that
roughly 200 residents of
Malibu had not yet taken
action in regard to the fire
debris removal program.
The data, from Monday,
Jan. 28, indicate that 237
Malibu residents submitted
right of entry forms to
participate in the government-sponsored
program
offered by the California
Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services, according
to Craig George,
environmental sustainability
director for the City of
Malibu. Another 46 residents
had opted out as of
Jan. 28, George said.
Those who wish to participate
in the county’s free
debris removal program
must fill out a ROE form,
which can be found online
at lacounty.gov/lacountyrecovers
or in person at the
Debris Removal Operation
Center in Calabasas
(26610 Agoura Road). The
DROC, at which opt-out
forms and work plans also
can be submitted, is open
from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday
through Friday, and
from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday.
Opt-out forms also can
be submitted from 8 a.m.-5
p.m. Monday through Friday
at the County Building
Residents who suffered
damages from the
Woolsey Fire have more
time to register for assistance
from the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency.
Friday, Feb. 15, is now
the last day to register.
The State of California
Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services requested
an extension from
FEMA, based on continued
registrations, which
indicate some are still assessing
their damage and
need additional time to apply
for aid.
Homeowners, renters
and small-business owners
must sign-up by Feb.
15 to be considered for
eligibility in any of several
federal disaster assistance
programs. Survivors
should register with
FEMA even if they have
insurance. Disaster assistance
often provides benefits
not covered by insurance.
The Feb. 15 deadline
also applies to applications
for low-interest disaster
loans from the U.S. Small
Business Administration.
SBA is the federal government’s
primary source of
money for the long-term
rebuilding of disasterdamaged
private property.
SBA also helps businesses
of all sizes, private
nonprofit organizations,
homeowners and renters
fund repairs or rebuilding
efforts and covers the
cost of replacing lost or
disaster-damaged personal
property.
FEMA’s Housing Assistance
and Other Needs
Assistance grants for medical,
dental and funeral
expenses do not require
and Safety Field Office in
Calabasas (26600 Agoura
Road, Suite 110), or via
email to woolseyfire@
dpw.lacounty.gov.
An LA County representative
also is to be at Malibu
City Hall from 9 a.m.-3
p.m. Monday-Friday to
accept either form and answer
residents’ questions.
George said staff at the
City of Malibu has done
“every possible thing
[they] could think of” to
try to reach those who have
not yet applied, including
reverse 9-1-1 calls, sending
notices to people, social
media blasts, website
posts and advertisements
in newspapers.
George said communication
with the county has
been good, and the City
has had several meetings
with the California Governor’s
Office of Emergency
Services and CalRecycle.
George said areas around
Malibu schools will be prioritized
during the debris
removal process, but the
latest data shows that not
all in those areas have opted
in, according to George.
“A lot of people have
opted in, but not everybody,
and that makes it
challenging to get the areas
around the schools cleared
quickly,” he said.
Household Hazardous
Waste sweeps in Malibu
were completed on Jan.
25, according to the City
of Malibu, and contractors
have now begun Phase II
operations, starting with
site assessments and asbestos
surveys for property
owners who have opted in
to the program.
Greg Renick, information
officer at Cal OES,
said 203 site assessments
and 170 asbestos surveys
had been completed in Los
Angeles County as of Friday,
Feb. 1, and 547 ROE
forms had been submitted
county-wide. Renick did
individuals to apply for
an SBA loan. Applicants
referred to SBA, however,
must complete and submit
an SBA loan application
to be considered for additional
forms of disaster assistance.
Applicants who do not
qualify for an SBA loan
may be referred back to
FEMA and may be eligible
to receive Other Needs Assistance
grants for these
items.
The SBA Disaster Customer
Service Center’s
toll-free number is (800)
659-2955. Help also is
available by sending
not have details on how
many of those assessments
or surveys took place in
Malibu in particular.
During assessments,
four-member crews also
are tipping chimneys,
which are a hazard and also
pose potential asbestos
problems, Renick said. As
of Friday, four such crews
were active throughout the
burn areas, and additional
crews were to be activated
on Monday, Feb. 4.
During site assessments,
Renick explained, officials
take photos, document
property lines, locate septic
tanks and identify any
objects which could pose
a hazard to crews or slow
down their operations.
Properties found to have
asbestos-containing materials
will be scheduled
for abatement by a subcontractor
prior to debris
removal.
“They take care of that
and try to set it up as soon as
an email to disastercust
omerservice@sba.gov or
by visiting www.sba.gov.
Survivors may apply online
at disasterloan.sba.
gov/ela/.
Those impacted by the
fires can register with
FEMA at www.Disaster
Assistance.gov or by calling
(800) 621-3362 (Text
Telephone 800-462-7585).
Multi-lingual operators
are available. The toll-free
numbers are open daily 7
a.m.-10 p.m.
Survivors also can register
and apply for assistance
at any Disaster Recovery
Center jointly operated
possible so they can move
onto the physical removal
of debris,” Renick said.
Those who opt in to the
local debris removal program
will be notified 24-48
hours prior to the start of
debris removal operations
on their property, according
to Cal OES; residents
are able to walk the property
with crews before
work begins and remain on
site during the process.
Renick said there was
not a daily goal as to how
many properties are cleared
per day, as the complexity
of each property can vary,
but the ultimate goal is to
complete debris removal
for all properties which
have opted into the program
by the end of May.
Those who have opted
out of the county program
have a March 15 deadline
to complete debris removal.
For more information,
visit lacounty.gov/
LACountyRecovers or call
(626) 979-5370.
by Cal OES and FEMA.
DRCs are staffed by representatives
of FEMA’s
Individual Assistance and
Mitigation teams, the SBA
and other state and federal
agencies, as well as nongovernmental
service organizations.
Grant recipients urged to
spend funds properly
Disaster Assistance
grants should be used only
for disaster-related expenses,
state emergency
management officials at
Cal OES and FEMA re-
Please see fema, 9