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,
References
[1]
Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Review of FEMA Guidance for Monitoring Debris Removal Operations for Hurricane Katrina,” OIG-07-63 August 2007, http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_07-63_Aug07.pdf.
[2]
USACE, “Debris Management Overview Briefing,” June 2006.
[3]
Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Public Assistance Debris Management Guide,” FEMA 325, July 2007, http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/demagde.shtm#5.
[4]
USACE Emergency Planning Response-Debris Removal Magnolia and MS Field Office, “Field Evaluation Summary for Lincoln, Pike and Walthall Counties, Mississippi for Temporary Debris Reduction Sites (TDRS),” November 2005.
[5]
USACE Emergency Field Office—Central, “Hurricane Katrina Debris Reduction Sites (Site Evaluations) Harrison County, Mississippi,” November 2005.
[6]
USACE Emergency Planning Response—Debris Removal Magnolia and MS Field Office, “Agreement between Mr. Alton Harvey and the USACE,” November 2005.
[7]
USACE Emergency Field Office—Central, “Hazard mitigation of abandoned swimming pools in pass christian, MS,” April 2006.
[8]
USACE Emergency Planning Response—Debris Removal Magnolia and MS Field Office, “Agreement between Jones Chip Mill and the USACE,” November 2005.
[9]
USACE Emergency Field Office—Central, “Concrete and tree assessments in pass christian, MS,” July 2006.
[10]
Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. (AHRI), “Refrigerants and our environment,” 2009, http://phaseoutfacts.org/Content/RefrigernatsandOurEnvironment_35.aspx.
[11]
USACE Vicksburg District, Hurricane Katrina Debris Removal Repository, Emergency Field Office—Central, 1180 General Corps of Engineers Contracts Correspondence Files, Dirty Whites—Pass Christian, 2006.
[12]
USACE Vicksburg District, Hurricane Katrina Debris Removal Repository, Emergency Field Office—Central, 1180 General Corps of Engineers Contracts Correspondence Files, Vehicles and Vessels—Pass Christian, 2006.
[13]
USACE Vicksburg District, Hurricane Katrina Debris Removal Repository, Emergency Field Office—West, 1180 General Administrative Files, Tire Haul Outs Hancock County, 2006.
[14]
USACE Emergency Planning Response—Debris Removal Magnolia and MS Field Office, “Remediation plan harvey temporary reduction site walthall county,” April 2006.
[15]
M. Jadacki, Review of FEMA Guidance for Monitoring Debris Removal Operations for Hurricane Katrina, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC, USA, 2007.
[16]
C. B. Cheah and M. Ramli, “The implementation of wood waste ash as a partial cement replacement material in the production of structural grade concrete and mortar: an overview,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 669–685, 2011.
[17]
D. R. Reinhart and P. T. McCreanor, “Disaster debris management—planning tools,” Final Report, University of Central Florida and Mercer University, September 1999, Prepared for EPA Region IV, http://www.cece.ucf.edu/people/reinhart/research/DDfinalreport.pdf.
[18]
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, “Status Report on Solid waste disposal facilities calendar year 2004,” Solid Waste Policy, Planning & Grants Branch, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Pollution Control, 2005.
J. P. Zublena, A. R. Rubin, and D. A. Crouse, “Uses of sheetrock (gypsum) as a soil amendment,” Soil Science Notes no. 1., Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State University, 1995.
[21]
M. McPhee, “C&D recycling in the home court,” BioCycle, pp. 30–32, November 1997.
[22]
R. H. Brickner, “Researching debris generation,” Recycling Today, pp. 46–52, September 1995.
[23]
M. Channell, M. Graves, V. Medina, A. Morrow, D. Brandon, and C. Nestler, Enhanced Tools and Techniques to Support Debris Management in Disaster Response Missions, ERDC/EL TR-09-12, USERDC, Vicksburg, Miss, USA, 2009.
[24]
F. C. Edminster, W. S. Atkinson, and A. C. McIntyre, Streambank Erosion Control on the Winooski River, Vermont, Circular no. 837, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, USA, 1949.
[25]
G. Y. Solis, H. C. Hightower, J. Sussex, and J. Kawaguchi, Disaster Debris Management, The Disaster Preparedness Resources Center, University of British Columbia, Center for Emergency Preparedness, Vancouver, Canada, 1995.
[26]
J. E. Kurre, “Characterizing construction and demolition debris for lead contamination,” Waste Age, vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 117–125, 1997.
