Army Corps leads debris removal; building‑trades urge community workforce agreements and apprenticeships

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told state lawmakers it is leading phase‑2 debris removal on private property in the Los Angeles wildfires, while building trades and labor groups pressed for community workforce agreements (CWAs), local‑hire mandates and apprenticeship pathways so local residents can rebuild and earn middle‑class wages.

Colonel Jim Hondura, regional commander of the Corps’ South Pacific Division, said the Corps established field offices in Pasadena and Pacific Palisades and has staff and contractors in the field. “To date, we've received over 3,771 rights of entry,” he said, and reported that crews have completed work on several parcels and that phase‑2 debris removal is expected to take about a year. Hondura estimated 4.25 to 4.5 million tons of debris require removal—“about half the amount of waste the entire country produces in a year,” he said.

Labor witnesses described how…