Skeptical about FEMA and the EPA for cleanup assistance

[Jason Fry]

Wife's family lost a cabin at Ruidoso to the fires. There's apparently FEMA money and contractors that will clean up your burned home and haul everything off. They have rules about asbestos and all kinds of other "contamination" including where various kinds of "waste" can be disposed of. They bring in the EPA to assess both before and after cleanup. All I learned from reading the material they sent out.

They also offer an "opt out" where you can clean up the stuff yourself. But if you opt out, "regulators" can still come in and fine you if you don't do the mitigation to their standards.

This really sounds to me like you're a bit F'ed either way. Either they come in and do the most ridiculous EPA-guided level over the top cleanup, and you have to let them do it their way whether you like it or not, or you do the work to a reasonable level and they can come back afterward and mess with you anyway.

I'm admittedly very skeptical of anything federal, maybe to the point of being unreasonable.

We're cleaning up a 1970's mobile home burnt to nothing, not a big mansion full of stuff here.

Any green screen advice? Anyone on here have FEMA do work for them? Was it worth the hassle? Or am I right to be paranoid about "we're from the government and we're here to help you?"

[Drycreek3189]

I would let them do it, that way it’s on them if I understand it correctly.

[dosrobles]

I can not see any possible way doing it yourself is a win.

[dbaio1]

Juat another example of why I don't trust a single thing about or out of the federal government.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

If it’s not covered 100%, what trailer home?

[friscopaint]

sounds like you have a metal frame and some tin.....

[RiverRat1]

Wife's family lost a cabin at Ruidoso to the fires. There's apparently FEMA money and contractors that will clean up your burned home and haul everything off. They have rules about asbestos and all kinds of other "contamination" including where various kinds of "waste" can be disposed of. They bring in the EPA to assess both before and after cleanup. All I learned from reading the material they sent out.

They also offer an "opt out" where you can clean up the stuff yourself. But if you opt out, "regulators" can still come in and fine you if you don't do the mitigation to their standards.

This really sounds to me like you're a bit F'ed either way. Either they come in and do the most ridiculous EPA-guided level over the top cleanup, and you have to let them do it their way whether you like it or not, or you do the work to a reasonable level and they can come back afterward and mess with you anyway.

I'm admittedly very skeptical of anything federal, maybe to the point of being unreasonable.

We're cleaning up a 1970's mobile home burnt to nothing, not a big mansion full of stuff here.

Any green screen advice? Anyone on here have FEMA do work for them? Was it worth the hassle? Or am I right to be paranoid about "we're from the government and we're here to help you?"

Yes x1,000
Seriously, if you trust any of "them" you have bigger issues.

Do they clean it up at no cost to you?

[stevieray54]

If everything is cinders. Unless you have some deep pockets to hire an outside firm to do a survey. You’re still going to have to have an environmental contractor come in and properly dispose of everything. It can get very expensive.Most likely it will need to be sent to a company that will take and incinerate, turn it into dust. Then they mix it into concrete for roads or cement blocks. I would let the EPA dispose of it. Just be sure you document everything and take pictures of every little thing. Lock it away for about 20 years. Good. Luck

[Atfulldraw]

sounds like you have a metal frame and some tin.....

Yes,

and 8,567,992 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

[friscopaint]

Yes,

and 8,567,992 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

That EPA wants you to dig up and go put in another "approved" hole........I hate the EPA

[WItoTX]

Huh, did the EPA ever get back to East Palestine? Glad they are working faster than for those folks in Ohio.

[Atfulldraw]

That EPA wants you to dig up and go put in another "approved" hole........I hate the EPA

you ever tried to buy some land that had a decommissioned gas station on it?

That’s the definition of no fun

[friscopaint]

you ever tried to buy some land that had a decommissioned gas station on it?

That’s the definition of no fun

anything they get involved with is a mess.......so it's ok for a decommissioned gas station to sit there but not if you buy it, then you have to mitigate it......makes sense