California Governor Schwarzenegger Announces $5 Million to Assist San Diego County in Debris Removal Efforts

By newsdesk - Posted on November 6th, 2007

11/05/2007 -- To help expedite the removal of fire-related debris from more than 1,000 homes, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that his Office of Emergency Services (OES) is advancing $5 million in state funds to San Diego County.

“We must do everything we can to assist the fire victims in their efforts to rebuild and recover as quickly as possible including accelerating the debris removal process,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Recovery will take time, but my administration is committed to doing everything possible to assist those who have been affected by the devastating southern California fires.”

The $5 million advance represents the first installment on its share of an estimated $21 million in advances and reimbursements to San Diego County under the California Disaster Assistance Act, which was activated when the Governor proclaimed a state of emergency on October 21. The advance will not supplant federal funding available under President George W. Bush’s major disaster declaration.

The advance follows San Diego County’s recent submittal of a debris removal plan including a scope of work and cost estimates of $28,000 per home to OES. The county’s plan and estimated per-home costs are based on the successful model developed to expedite debris removal from homes after the Angora Fire in the South Lake Tahoe area earlier this year.

Under the Angora model, debris was removed and disposed of in one step rather than being picked up, placed near a public right-of-way, picked up again and taken to a disposal site. As a result, property owners, insurance companies, local agencies and the state all saved money.

Federal reimbursements provided by FEMA and an aggressive insurance recovery program that San Diego County will operate as part of its debris removal plan are also expected to help reduce some of the state’s costs.

Additionally, OES is working with the city of San Diego and San Bernardino County to finalize their debris removal plans.

Source: California Governor

Bookmark/Search this post with: