Cleanup Assistance

Cost of Cleanup

Fact Sheet (PDF)

Wildfire Asbestos

Wildfire Cleanup and Asbestos Concerns

LRAPA strongly recommends waiting for government funded assistance for hazard and debris removal.

After Fire

Losing a home to fire is traumatic, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes there is physical injury or loss of human life, or the loss of pets. Always there is the loss of property, and items of financial or sentimental value.

During such crisis it is easy to not consider the hazardous nature of ash and debris on your property. It’s important to understand that hazards to your immediate and long-term health exist in that ash and debris. Performing your own cleanup and debris removal may put yourself and others at risk.

Cleanup Assistance
2020 Wildfires

The State of Oregon is working with federal, state and local partners to safely address ash and debris from the 2020 Oregon wildfires. Removing fire debris is a two-step cleanup process.

Step 1: Clearing properties of household hazardous waste to minimize exposure of hazardous materials to the public – at no cost to property owners.

Step 2: Removing ash, debris, and burned-out structures – at no cost to property owners.

Progress updates on this effort can be found on the Oregon wildfire response and recovery webpage.

Wildfire Cleanup

Cost of Cleanup

Cleaning your property may be a long and costly venture. Removal of household hazardous waste and debris can be an incredibly expensive process, costing as much as $75,000. Even with insurance, a majority of this cost may not be covered. For the 2020 Oregon Wildfires the state and federal government have committed to paying for removal of household hazardous waste, which means impacted community members can reserve your insurance funds for other recovery efforts.

On November 16, 2020, the Oregon Debris Management Task Force announced that the State of Oregon will provide no-cost wildfire ash and debris cleanup for all homes and businesses in the eight counties affected by the disastrous 2020 September wildfires, regardless of FEMA reimbursement. This includes mobile home parks, second homes, businesses, and other structures.

LRAPA strongly urges impacted community members to participate in the government cleanup efforts and to not remove hazardous materials and debris alone because of the potential risks to health and safety. However, the below fact sheet provided guidance on the homeowner process to cleanup and dispose of asbestos containing materials and asbestos containing waste.

LRAPA monitors air quality throughout Lane County with eight regulatory-grade monitors and over 90 commercial-grade air sensors. Air Quality Index values are updated hourly.

Find the current air quality, look up the closest monitor to you, and learn more about the Air Quality Index (AQI) on the Current Air Quality Page.

LRAPA regulates the burning of wood and yard debris, known as “outdoor burning,” in Lane County. LRAPA also enforces home wood heating – such as fireplaces and wood stoves – opacity ordinances for the cities of Eugene, Springfield and Oakridge. Seasonal and daily restrictions can exist for both forms of burning. Check to see if there are any active burning curtailments in effect on the burning restrictions webpage.
LRAPA logo
LRAPA is responsible for issuing air permits to commercial and industrial operations with emissions above a certain threshold. Check to see if your business needs a permit by following our 5-step guide on our Permitting Overview webpage.

Asbestos is the name of a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are heat-resistant, strong and extremely durable. Asbestos has historically been used in over 4,000 building products because of these properties.

Asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. There is no safe level of exposure to friable asbestos.

LRAPA regularly solicits public comment on proposed agency actions such as rule changes, proposed air permits, and the agency’s annual budget. LRAPA also hosts monthly Board of Director and Citizen Advisory Committee meetings.

Learn more about these public comment window and public meetings on our News, Notices & Public Calendar webpage.

The physical environment is a crucial component of any individual’s health and well-being.  Every community needs access to safe air, land and water.  LRAPA has curated together a collation of topics commonly asked about by the community to provide information, important details, and connect interested community members with resources.

Explore the many topics of information on our Community Center webpage.

LRAPA is the local air authority responsible for monitoring Lane County’s air and administering programs that protect and improve air quality. LRAPA was founded in 1968 as an intergovernmental agreement between the cities of Springfield and Eugene. Today’s intergovernmental agreement includes Lane County and the cities of Cottage Grove, Eugene, Oakridge, and Springfield.