disaster preparedness

June 12, 2018

June is the start of hurricane season and the time to check that your preparations for the safe and timely management of debris are ready. Debris removal and management are just two of the many competing priorities public agencies must manage during such events. It is important that disaster debris is properly managed so as to protect human health, comply with regulations, conserve disposal capacity, reduce injuries, and minimize or prevent environmental impacts.

Advance thought, planning, and coordination among individuals at various levels of government and the private sector with experience and expertise in waste management can successfully meet challenges from even the more severe storms the nation has experienced in recent years. Hammering out removal details with multiple jurisdictions and multiple contractors once the storm ends generates mountains of paperwork that must be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within six months. Not preparing for as many of the administrative aspects of a disaster as possible can have painful bottom-line consequences. These tedious, detail-oriented tasks conducted under great stress, can create the errors that federal agencies use to decline reimbursement applications.

Get started with these resources and recovery success studies; click to read, download, or share each:

  • County Removes 573,866 Cubic Yards of Debris in 99 Days
    Manatee County, Florida solid waste division’s removal plan serves as a model for natural disaster response. Covered by Public Works Magazine.
  • Is Your Solid Waste Infrastructure at Risk from Hurricanes and Flood Events? The article discusses how owner/operators can help prevent damage to their critical solid waste facilities that need to function during and after a major storm. Covered by Waste Advantage Magazine.
  • Expansion of An Active Landfill  – Vertical expansion increases the landfill volume within the existing footprint of the permitted Landfill. A landfill can run out of its storage capacity prematurely for many reasons including a response to a huge amount of debris waste from a natural disaster like a tropical storm or hurricane. Covered by ISWA.

Contact for assistance starting or refining your plan ahead of natural disasters.

Planning for Natural Disaster Debris – help for communities to develop or revise a disaster debris management plan. Many aspects of disaster debris planning can be relevant to communities demolishing abandoned residential buildings and remediating properties.

Guidance about Planning for Natural Disaster Debris – much of the construction or demolition waste can be recovered and recycled. SCS Engineers designs and builds these facilities so we can help locate the nearest C&D debris recyclers as part of your plan.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:02 am