PACIFIC PALISADES—On March 21, Mayor Karen Bass issued an Executive Order to aid Pacific Palisades residents who lost their homes to fire to rebuild. The EO implements a new deadline of March 31, to take advantage of the free debris removal offered by the Army Corps of Engineers.
President Trump visited the ruins of the fire and spoke with Mayor Bass and other city officials soon after he took office. It was then that POTUS offered to have the Army Corps of Engineers services to those devastated by fire. Debris removal is costly. This comes at a tremendous savings to those who choose to opt-in.
Photo by Ringo Chiu/Shutterstock.
Mayor Bass made the following statement in today’s executive order:
“Getting residents home quickly and safely is my top priority – and we must rebuild with an eye toward the future, with today’s Executive Order, we are taking action to help residents harden their homes and businesses against wildfires, ensure our city’s infrastructure can better withstand future disasters, and protect communities for generations to come, all while ensuring the pace of rebuilding continues ahead of expectations.”
On January 21, President Trump issued an Executive Order demanding improved water resources for Californians. Section 2 (F) states the following:
“The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall identify all ongoing or potential major water-supply and storage projects within the State of California for which they have joint responsibility under the ESA or individual responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.”
The following statements came from the March 21 press release of Mayor Bass:
Mayor Bass is leading the fastest recovery effort in modern California history:
Record Rate of Utilities Restoration for Standing Homes: In just two months, water and power were safely restored in the Palisades. In comparison, safe drinking water wasn’t restored until 18 months after the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
Fastest Hazardous Materials Clearing in EPA History: Phase 1 of the debris removal process finished in 28 days – months ahead of expectations – and removed more than 300 tons of hazardous materials from the Palisades. In comparison, Phase 1 of the debris removal process for the Camp Fire took more than twice as long to complete.
Debris Removal Moving at Historic Pace: Phase 2 of the debris removal process is moving forward and has already been completed at hundreds of properties, speeding up the process to get residents back home.
Mayor Bass has been under scrutiny for her lack of concern. When the Pacific Palisades fires began, Mayor Bass left the country and later claimed that the then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley did not properly brief her. Former LAFD Chief Crowley has since lost her job over the ordeal. Former Chief, Ronnie Villanueva has since been appointed interim Chief.
Pacific Palisades residents who would like to Opt-In to the free debris removal program must complete and submit a Right of Entry (ROE) form to allow USACE access to their property by March 31, 2025.
By Sharon