Hoʻōla Maui's role in the clean-up process
DAWSON, a Hoʻōla Maui member, is the prime contractor for USACE to conduct hazardous site assessments and remove hazardous household and bulk asbestos materials. They, along with fellow Hoʻōla Maui members, are one piece of the larger recovery effort involving coordination with multiple government agencies, companies, and nonprofits supporting the cleanup effort.
We will dive into the process and how these pieces fit together, assisting the communities’ rebuilding efforts through conducting assessments and debris removal.
Agency and Organization Roles
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has assigned missions and allocated funding to support the debris removal process. Here’s a short synopsis on agencies, companies, and organizations supporting the effort:
County of Maui - Process Oversight, Public Access, and Enrollment
Supported by:
Maui Emergency Management Agency for Right of Entry collection and processing
Tidal Basin for Right of Entry process and logistical support
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement for Right of Entry signups
EPA - Hazardous Materials Removal
Environmental Quality Management - Household hazardous materials removal, with contributions from Nā ʻAikāne for cultural observing.
USACE - Debris Removal and Environmental Testing
Supported by:
ECC is the USACE Advanced Contracting Initiative contractor for debris removal.
DAWSON is the lead contractor for site assessment work with contributions from all Hoʻōla Maui members. Read about their roles.
AEPAC for cultural monitoring work, with contributions from Nā ʻAikāne for cultural observing, ʻĀina Archeology for archeological monitoring, and CNHA for cultural advising
Right of Entry
Before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their contractors can clear a property of fire debris, they need the property owner’s permission. The Right of Entry form gives that permission to USACE and their contractors to enter the property. Lean more about Rights of Entry on the Maui Recovers website.
This is an essential part of the process for homeowners. Without the consent given via the ROE, USACE and their contractors will not be able to assign property for assessment and debris removal.
Property owners can fill out and submit an ROE via www.mauirecovers.org/debrisremoval, or visit one of the in-person locations from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, at the Lahaina Civic Center, the Kalana O Maui Building Lobby in Wailuku, or CNHA’s Kākoʻo Maui office at the Maui Mall in Kahului.
Property owners will not have any out-of-pocket costs for this process. Insurance proceeds from a homeowner’s policy, specifically for debris removal, will be collected by the County of Maui as described in the Right of Entry informational packet, once the debris removal is complete. If the property was not covered by a policy, there is nothing owed by the homeowner.
If a property owner chooses not to use USACE private property debris removal program, they will be financially responsible for the fire debris removal, testing, and clean-up of their property. they will be required to meet or exceed the standards set by all applicable regulating agencies.
Hazardous Materials Removal
The Environmental Protection Agency is the lead agency for the initial work to clear major hazardous materials from properties impacted by the fires. This is referred to as Phase 1.
EPA contractor Environmental Quality Management (EQM) is working zone by zone to remove hazardous items such as gas cylinders, damaged solar panel batteries, propane, oil, pesticides, ammunition, and any materials that pose an immediate risk to human health, animals, or the environment. EQM teams are paired with cultural monitors from Nā ʻAikāne o Maui to ensure culturally significant objects, places, plants, or landscapes are identified and treated with respect.
EPA signage confirming that a property is ready for the next debris removal phase.
Once the EPA has cleared a property of hazardous materials, they will notify the county, log the information, and post signage identifying the property is ready for the next debris removal phase. At this point the county will work with property owners to re-enter the affected zone to visit their properties if they wish. Find out what areas are available for re-entry on the Maui Recovers website.
The EPA has a live counter available to the public, to track the number of parcels they’ve completed for hazardous materials removal. Click here to see today’s numbers.
Learn more on the County of Maui’s debris removal page at the Maui Recovers website.
Wildfire Debris Removal
As the EPA cleared hazardous materials during Phase 1, USACE began conducting hazardous site assessments. Phase 2 private property debris removal begins after ROEs are provided to USACE by the County of Maui. As soon as the EPA has cleared a zone, USACE is able to assign the zone to their first phase contractor - DAWSON, working with fellow Hoʻōla Maui members - to start their component of the work.
Learn more about USACE efforts on Maui at www.poh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Response/Hawaii-Wildfires/. Credit: USACE.
Hoʻōla Maui crews work closely with cultural monitoring teams under USACE contractor AEPAC. Nā ʻAikāne cultural monitors and ʻĀina Archeology archeologists are in the field daily alongside Hoʻōla Maui teams, who rely on them to identify places and items that require a specific attention and care as appropriate for the historic and culturally significant sites throughout the impacted areas. Under the leadership of Nā ʻAikāne, each workday begins and ends with Hawaiian protocol, a practice that anchors the work in the values and perspectives required by this kind of kuleana, and that binds the crews closer together in appreciation and respect for the culture of this place and its people.
Working together as a hui, Hoʻōla Maui members and their partners are responsible for:
Survey work - ensuring the maps USACE uses to track progress are accurate, cross-referencing geographic information system data with TMK numbers and street addresses, then manually posting signs to confirm the maps, databases, and physical locations all match. Read more about the signs, and the checklist items listed on them, here.
Hazard site assessments note where items that could pose a danger to crews working are located. These could be items like open cesspools, sinkholes, unstable walls, or anything hazards.
Tree assessments by certified arborists, to identify trees that could regrow safely and survive, and mark those that are unlikely to survive and may pose a safety hazard to work crews or eventual residents as they return to rebuild.
Testing for any materials identified on the property that are suspected of being contaminated with asbestos and mark the items for special handling during the debris removal process.
As the work in each zone is completed, DAWSON and its Hoʻōla Maui partners submit a detailed portfolio of information specific to each property to USACE, so debris removal crews can safely and efficiently move in and start work. This component of the work is expected to take 90 days or less.
Just as Hoʻōla Maui crews were able to start in EPA-cleared zones even while the EPA continued to clear other areas, debris removal crews will be able to start work in zones that Hoʻōla Maui teams have finished assessing. That way, the process can continue to move as quickly and safely as possible.
ECC, Inc., is the USACE Advanced Contracting Initiative program contractor for private property debris removal and will soon announce their selection for commercial and public fire debris removal. Trained teams will remove debris from each property, including concrete, metal, vehicles, ash, debris, and the top few inches of contaminated soil. Care will be taken to avoid any unnecessary impact to significant cultural and historic sites. The cultural and archeological monitoring teams at Nā ʻAikāne and ʻĀina Archeology will continue to work alongside crews during this phase, to ensure proper and respectful handling of all sensitive sites and items.
Preparing to Rebuild
Once debris removal and final environmental testing is complete, the appropriate regulatory entities will review the site documentation and ensure the property has been fully prepared to move forward in the rebuilding process. Homeowners will be notified, and next steps will begin. The County of Maui is working hard to assist the community, including streamlining development and permitting processes. All the partners in this recovery are committed to helping Maui residents return to their properties as soon and as safely possible. Learn more at www.mauirecovers.com.
