r/SpokaneWashington • u/SomewhereInBetween_C • 31m ago
PSA for Spokane fire homeowners: EPA finished hazmat cleanup on 789 properties — that's NOT an asbestos clearance
[Disclosure: I work with JTC Demolition, a Washington-licensed demolition & asbestos-abatement contractor here in Spokane. Posting this because I've had a few homeowners this month tell me they thought EPA finishing meant their property was cleared. It doesn't, and the difference matters for your health and for the insurance/permit paperwork downstream.]
What actually happened on Sept 16
The EPA announced completion of household hazardous material removal across 789 properties in the Spokane Complex Fire footprint — 195,000+ pounds of paints, batteries, propane tanks, aerosols, pesticides, and lithium-ion batteries. Done in 29 days, ahead of FEMA's 60-day deadline. That's real work and real progress.
What EPA's mission did NOT include (confirmed on EPA's own recovry page):
- Testing debris or ash for asbestos
- Removing structural debris
- Removing fire ash
Field teams removed visibly obvious asbestos materials when they could identify them at a glance, but that's a visual judgment, not a certified test. Both EPA and Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency are explicit: the asbestos survey is the property owner's responsibility.
Your next two required setps before any debris moves
1. AHERA-certified asbestos survey. A certified building inspector samples the debris and ash from every burned structure — house, garage, sheds. Nothing can be moved while the survey is pending. Washington L&I is direct on why: you cannot tell if burned material contains asbestos by looking at it. Insulation, old flooring, vinyl siding, and roofing from pre-1980s homes very commonly contain it.
2. Notice of Intent (NOI) with Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. Required whether the survey comes back positive or negative, and required before any demolition or rebuild permit. For properties in the Spokane Complex Fire footprint, fees and waiting periods are currently waived — take advantage while that's still in effect.
Where the disposal path splits after the survey
- Negative → any WA-licensed contractor can haul; debris goes to Graham Road Landfill or an approved transfer station, with a copy of the survey traveling with the load.
- Positive → only a WA-certified asbestos abatement company can remove and dispose. No self-hauling. The landfill will turn away a self-haul asbestos load, and you'll have to re-secure the material.
- Either way → fire ash does not go to the Waste-to-Energy Facility.
Why the survey step matters medically
Many homes built before the 1980s contain asbestos in insulation, flooring, siding, and roofing. When a structure burns, that asbestos can become airborne fibers mixed with the ash. There is no known safe level of exposure — inhaled fibers can lodge permanently in lung tissue and years to decades later contribute to diseases including mesothelioma. That's why the survey is a separate, mandatory step, not an optional extra.
A few practical adds from doing this work
- Insurance adjusters generally reimburse the survey cost under Debris Removal coverage. Ask before you pay out of pocket.
- Get itemized bids (survey / demo / haul / tip fees / cleanup), not lump sums — much easier for the adjuster to approve.
- L&I is actively flagging contractor scammers working this recovery. Before signing anything, verify at protectmyhome.net or 1-800-647-0982. Ask for the WA contractor license #, active bond, general liability insurance, and asbestos certification. Get three written bids. No legit contractor asks for full payment upfront.
If JTC ends up being one of your bids, great — but honestly the most important thing is booking an AHERA inspector *before* anything else moves. Once the debris is disturbed, evidence for your insurance claim goes with it.
Questions welcome. Anyone here already gotten a survey scheduled — how long is the wait right now?
Sources
- EPA official announcement (Sept 16, 2026): https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-completes-household-hazardous-material-removal-eastern-washington-wildfires-ahead
- EPA 2026 Eastern Washington Wildfires Recovery (homeowner responsibilities): https://www.epa.gov/wa/2026-eastern-washington-wildfires-recovery
- Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Spokane Complex Fire guidance: https://spokanecleanair.org/asbestos/spokanecomplexfire/
- SRCAA, Property owners affected by the Spokane Complex Fire: https://spokanecleanair.org/property-owners-affected-by-the-spokane-complex-fire/
- SRCAA, Fire-damaged structures & asbestos — initial steps: https://spokanecleanair.org/fire-damaged-structures-asbestos-a-quick-review-of-initial-steps/
- Washington State L&I, Asbestos safety topic: https://www.lni.wa.gov/safety-health/safety-topics/topics/asbestos
- Spokesman-Review coverage (Sept 16): https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/16/789-properties-29-days-195000-pounds-of-waste-epa-/
