On Friday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started work on commercial property zones to remove hazardous materials in Lahaina.
The EPA says commercial properties present unique size, safety and increased hazardous materials issues that extend the time it takes to complete work on these properties.
“The work is not done, but the completion of EPA’s Phase I work is in sight,” EPA Incident Commander Tara Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “We have started work on the most technically difficult properties, which signal a near transition to the Army Corps work of removing all remaining debris on properties.”
EPA says it prioritized residential properties to allow local residents to visit their properties as soon as possible.
The risks include unstable structures, collapsed roofs and other physical hazards. Commercial properties that cannot be addressed during this phase will be addressed in the second phase, the EPA says.
Controlling the spread of ash and debris remains the focus of EPA teams.
The agency continues to apply soil stabilizer to the ash footprint on all affected properties in Lahaina — excluding areas of cultural significance — to protect human health and the environment. The stabilizer helps prevent toxic ash and debris from entering the air, nearby properties, waterways and the ocean, EPA says.
In addition, EPA says it continues to identify, transport and safely dispose of lithium-ion batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles, charging stations and solar power systems. Fire-damaged lithium-ion batteries need to be recovered with specific care, de-energized and disposed of properly, the agency says.
EPA says it has removed 90% of hazardous materials from burned residential and commercial properties in Lahaina. The number of parcels cleared increased to 1,620, up from 1,601 in the prior count.
>> State Sen. Angus L.K. McKelvey of District 6 — West Maui, Maalaea, Waikapu and South Maui — issued a written statement in response to the Office of Housing and UrbanDevelopment’s FHA mortgage bar for Maui, following the devastating wildfires.
“The announcement by HUD to bar any foreclosures of FHA notes is good news to the people of Lahaina,” McKelvey said. “I want to thank President Biden, Gov. Green, Rep. Jill Tokuda and the other members of our federal delegation for delivering this much needed help. This action will help to stop the trauma of foreclosures for many families, especially for those whose homes are no longer standing.
“While this an important first step, it is only the first one and as such I hope our federal partners and others will continue to work towards deferment of mortgages for owner occupied properties, especially multi-member households, as well as other types of forbearance that could be used to help forestall the sale of Lahaina,” McKelvey added.
>> Since wildfires swept over Maui on Aug. 8, more than $249.6 million in federal assistance has been approved for 6,564 households.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it is working closely with Maui County, the state of Hawaii and federal and nonprofit partners, with a commitment to helping Maui residents continue their recovery.
FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved those moneys to survivors of the Maui disaster.
Those moneys include over $34.18 million in FEMA assistance for individuals and households, including:
>> Over $16.3 million for housing assistance.
>> Over $17.8 million for other needs assistance.
>> About $215.5 million in SBA disaster loans approved for affected Maui homeowners, renters and businesses.
Moreover, the American Red Cross and Maui County government have housed 6,795 people on Maui and Oahu.
The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance and a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan for homeowners, renters and businesses for physical property damage is Thursday.
The last day for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private nonprofit organizations to apply for a SBA economic injury disaster loan is May 10.
HOW TO HELP OR RECEIVE HELP
>> FEMA is actively seeking property owners here in Hawaii who want to temporarily lease their vacation homes or other units to FEMA for use by disaster survivors. Interested property owners may send inquiries to FEMA-DR4724-HI-Contracting@fema.dhs.gov.
>> For more information, call Hawaii Cares toll-free at 800-753-6879 or dial or text Hawaii Cares using the three-digit calling code 988. This service is available all day, every day.
>> For those facing civil legal issues as a result of the wildfires and who cannot afford an attorney, legal advice may be obtained by contacting Legal Aid of Hawaii toll-free at 808-536-4302 or 800-499-4302.
>> The Disaster Legal Services national hotline is 888-743-5749.
>> Free legal advice also may be accessed online at hawaii.freelegalanswers.org.
