The operations team managing the coordinated debris removal program for Boulder County, Louisville, and Superior recently cleared the final Marshall Fire-destroyed property of ash and debris and has completed all final erosion control work. In four months, Boulder County’s contractor, DRC, and their teams cleared ash, debris, vegetative material, concrete, and other waste related to the Marshall Fire from 566 participating properties, which includes 260 in Louisville, 242 in Superior, and 64 in unincorporated Boulder County.
As we move forward, it is important to remember the road to recovery and rebuilding is long and complex. Every property owner is navigating a different stage of this process, and the timeline looks different for each individual. The City will continue to support each resident through the journey from debris removal to cleared lots to new construction and finally moving home.
“Clearing the final property in the coordinated debris removal program is a significant milestone in our community’s recovery after the Marshall Fire,” said Boulder County Board of County Commissioners Chair Marta Loachamin. “Working alongside our partners in Louisville, Superior, and the State of Colorado, we have been able to clear hundreds of properties so that the rebuilding process can begin in earnest."
“During my weekly meetings with Marshall Fire survivors, I continue to see firsthand the resilience of our community,” said Boulder County Board of Commissioners Vice-Chair Claire Levy. "Hearing that the coordinated debris removal program has cleared the last property in the program is the good news everyone needs right now to move forward in the recovery process."
“Boulder County has never attempted a debris removal effort of this size and scope, and we’d like to thank the county employees who successfully managed this project," said Boulder County Commissioner Matt Jones. “As a Louisville resident who was evacuated during the Marshall Fire, it means a lot to me personally to see us move one step closer to bringing our residents home.”
The following are totals of material removed from properties that was either recycled or properly disposed of:
- 103,662 tons of ash and debris hauled safely to proper disposal facilities
- 64,648 tons of brick and concrete recycled
- 2,403 tons of metal recycled
- 1,837 tons of vegetative debris recycled using biochar
Through dedicated efforts to reduce waste, 2.69 million equivalent pounds of CO2 were sequestered and prevented from entering the environment.
The Coordinated Debris Removal Program worked closely with the State of Colorado and FEMA and followed the guidelines set by FEMA’s Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) program. By participating in this program, the county, town, and city are eligible for up to 95% reimbursement of costs (90% FEMA, 5% State of Colorado, 5% local municipality) used to pay for this effort. Without increased contributions from the federal, state, and local governments, many of those who lost their homes would have faced direct costs for debris removal in order to start the rebuilding effort. Typically, communities are responsible for 25% of the total cost, but the State of Colorado offered to cover 50% of the local share, and FEMA increased their share of coverage for this incident from 75% to 90%. This collaboration resulted in millions of dollars saved for each community, thereby reducing the local communities and individuals’ financial burden for the complex operation. We are greatly appreciative to our federal and state partners for this support, which is vital for our community’s economic recovery and protection of public health and safety through the debris removal process.
If you need help with rebuilding, or for more information about available resources, visit the Louisville Rebuilds website.
