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 local workers and union apprenticeship programs could supply trained crews if contracting requirements prioritize local hiring and training. Eddie Escoto Alvarez, a council representative with the LA and Orange County Building Trades, and Chris Hannon of the State Building Trades urged mandatory CWAs or project labor agreements (PLAs) when public money or expedited permits support rebuilding. “If there's any type of public subsidy—may it be time or money—there has to be some type of community workforce agreement,” Alvarez said, arguing that CWAs protect apprenticeship slots, local hire and prevailing wages.

Contracting structure: The Corps said it is executing work under a pre‑awarded emergency response contract with ECC as the prime contractor; Hondura said ECC is required to allocate 40% of its subcontract awards to small or disadvantaged businesses and must submit a site safety and health plan. ECC and its subcontractors operating under the Corps’ contract must comply with Corps safety standards and federal contracting requirements, Hondura said. Several lawmakers asked the Corps to provide a detailed list of subcontractors working under the ECC prime; Hondura agreed to follow up.

Limits to local mandates: Trade witnesses and lawmakers noted legal and practical limits where federal agencies directly manage phases of the response. Eddie Alvarez and others said federal control of some work has constrained the ability to require local hire on phases funded or performed by the federal government, though they argued that state and local subsidies or permitting expedites still offer levers to attach labor standards.

Apprenticeship and on‑ramp training: Building trades officials highlighted extensive apprenticeship and pre‑apprenticeship capacity in the region—programs that they said could absorb displaced workers and provide career pathways if contracts include apprenticeship or enrollment requirements. Chris Hannon pointed to a 2022 state law (SB 978) that set a prequalification process for debris contractors and said the state tool is underused when funds flow through federal mechanisms.

What lawmakers asked for: Legislators pressed agencies for timely lists of prime and subcontractors, transparency on disposal and recycling destinations for ash and asbestos, and data on how many local workers, apprentices and disadvantaged businesses are actually being used. The Corps committed to provide more detail to legislative staff on contractor lists and disposal logistics.

The debate at the hearing highlights a tension common in disaster recovery: the need to move quickly to clear hazards and reopen neighborhoods, and the desire to use public investments to secure local jobs, training and safety standards.