A hazardous materials crew works in a Wahikuli neighborhood Friday afternoon. Once the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finishes removing hazardous materials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will work to remove debris left by the Aug. 8 fire. On Friday, the White House announced that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs of debris removal during a set period of the state’s choosing. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs for debris removal following the Aug. 8 wildfire in Lahaina that destroyed more than 2,200 structures, the White House announced.

President Joe Biden on Friday approved Gov. Josh Green’s request for an additional adjustment to the cost share, which Green said at a news conference Thursday was split between the federal government at 90 percent and the state at 10 percent. Green said that he hoped to see the federal government cover the costs fully.

On Friday Biden authorized federal funds for debris removal at 100 percent of the total eligible costs for a continuous 180-day period of the state’s choosing with the first nine months of the fire. Federal funds for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, have also been authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs for a continuous 90-day period of the state’s choosing within six months of the fire.

“This determination was made due to the significant costs Maui County and Hawaii would otherwise bear for emergency protective measures related to sheltering survivors and distributing necessities including food and water as well as debris removal which will likely continue for several months,” a White House official said in a statement.

After weeks of search and rescue efforts, the cleanup process began in late August as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began removing and disposing of hazardous materials from homes. Green said that this will take about three months, then it will take another nine months for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove debris. He estimated that this contract would cost about $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion.

“President Biden’s support, in response to our constant communication with him and his team, as well as requests from Hawai’i’s congressional delegation, shows just how steadfast he is in his desire to stand alongside the people of Maui and help in their recovery,” Green said in a statement on Friday.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said that the 100 percent federal cost share could total in the hundreds of millions of dollars and may be extended at the president’s direction.

“This is a significant amount of money. By covering the full cost of debris removal for at least six months, the federal government will help the state and county save hundreds of millions of dollars,” Schatz said in a statement on Friday. “We will keep working as hard as we can to help to bring more federal resources for Lahaina’s recovery.”

As the properties are cleared of hazardous materials, Maui County is reopening zones to allow residents to go back to their properties for the first time since the fire. Kaniau Road Zone 1C is the first area cleared for reopening. Residents will be able to access the area on Monday and Tuesday.

The governor said Thursday that 15,931 people have so far registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency — this includes not only people directly impacted by the fires but others outside of the impact zone who were affected by lost business or were unable to get to their homes, Green explained.

FEMA said Friday that so far, $125.16 million in federal assistance has been approved for 5,756 households. This includes nearly $99 million in U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses, as well as just under $26.2 million approved by FEMA for individuals and households — $12.5 million for housing assistance and $13.7 million for other needs.