The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday allowed CBS News to accompany an EPA team sifting through the ash searching for toxic debris.
"We look for any uncombusted paints," Harry Allen, a federal onsite coordinator with the EPA, told CBS News.
The work is painstaking, as EPA teams respond to the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The process involves more than just moving the toxic debris out, it's also about finding a place for it to go.
An EPA official on the ground described the expedited cleanup deadline to CBS News as "bananas," while another former EPA official said it may be nearly impossible to meet this deadline.

EPA rushes to meet Trump's deadline to clear toxic debris from Los Angeles area wildfire zones