Officials urge caution on debris removal; asbestos testing and coordinated plan required

City and state officials at the press conference warned that debris removal is a complex public-health operation that requires testing and a coordinated plan before homeowners undertake cleanup.

"There are requirements around testing for asbestos in order to determine where that ash can go," Mayor Brown said, urging residents to consult the regional health district and the city website for guidance. Officials described interagency teams—including FEMA and the Department of Ecology—forming a strategy for hazardous-material removal and ash management, and they urged homeowners not to "do it yourself" until the state plan is announced.

Emergency-management staff and local partners said ash disposal, asbestos testing and determining safe disposal sites are priorities; the state and federal team will provide guidance on what homeowners should and should not handle, and the city and county are coordinating registration and debris-collection planning at the disaster assistance center.