Tuesday, Jan. 16 marked the first day of work for debris removal from properties in Lahaina, with the first residential property cleared yesterday on Fleming Road. This milestone followed months of coordinated re-entry activities that allowed residents to gain access safely to their properties in each zone before debris removal began.

The debris removal is being done through a coordinated effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui and private contractors.

The action signals the start of Phase 2, in which debris is sprayed with water and wrapped in thick industrial plastic before being transported to the Temporary Debris Storage (TDS) site. During the process, Maui-based Native Hawaiian cultural advisors work alongside USACE debris removal teams to monitor and provide guidance on cultural priorities.

“The start of debris removal is a critical milestone in our progress, and an important step forward,” Mayor Bissen said. “We appreciate the hard work of our public works crews, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and contractors. As operations increase in the coming days, there will be teams conducting debris removal on multiple properties at the same time. Everyone is working hard on this cleanup process to help Lahaina residents and landowners return to their properties.”

The removal of hazardous household material and bulk asbestos material was completed by USACE during Phase 1 of the debris removal mission.

For more information on debris removal, visit www.mauirecovers.org/debrisremoval.