%0 Journal Article
%T A Case History Study of the Recycling Efforts from the United States Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Katrina Debris Removal Mission in Mississippi
%A Dennis Leroy Brandon
%A Victor Frank Medina
%A Agnes Belinda Morrow
%J Advances in Civil Engineering
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/526256
%X In support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) managed the removal of Hurricane Katrina storm debris in several states. This paper focuses on the debris removal practices in 16 southern Mississippi counties and the recycling efforts. Debris was removed from public and private property. The debris included vegetation, construction material, electronic waste, vehicles, and vessels. The scope of the USACE mission was expanded several times. The scope within the respective counties varied from vegetation only to the removal of every eligible form of debris. The recommendations proposed should enhance recycling efforts during future debris removal missions. 1. Introduction Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster in American history, generating more than 90.2 million m3 of debris across Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assigned the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) responsibility for debris removal in localities where local governments were not capable of handling debris removal [1]. The USACE Vicksburg District managed the removal of more than 15.1 million m3 of debris from 16 southern MS counties (Figure 1): Clarke, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jones, Lamar, Leake, Lincoln, Newton, Perry, Pike, and Walthall [2]. The extent of the USACE mission in each county was determined by the county supervisors or the governing officials in each municipality. Debris removal was conducted between September 2005 and September 2006, and was essentially complete in the northern counties by April 2006. In Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties, debris removal continued until September 2006. In these counties, the USACE¡¯s expanded mission included debris removal from swimming pools, the removal of concrete foundations, and the removal of vehicles and vessels. This paper reviews the procedures utilized during Hurricane Katrina debris removal and the recycling practices during that mission. In addition, the paper recommends changes from the Katrina experience to enhance recycling. Figure 1: Mississippi County map. Counties that had their debris removal missions managed by the USACE are shaded and have name labels. 2. Description of the Corps of Engineers Debris Removal Mission 2.1. Goals of the Federal Debris Removal Mission The debris removal goal of USACE was to manage all storm debris in a timely, efficient, cost-effective manner that also achieves environmental compliance [3]. To be eligible for removal by the Federal response,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ace/2011/526256/