At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify types of debris. List the most common debris-generating disasters.
• Define the phases of debris operations.
• Identify techniques for estimating debris quantities.
• Describe debris collection methods.

Debris comes in many shapes and sizes, and varies based on the source. The mix of debris will affect the type of equipment that is most efficient for debris removal and disposal. Using the wrong equipment to remove debris can extend the timeframe for debris clearance and dramatically increase the cost of debris operations.

FEMA has established specific eligibility guidance for identifying the various debris types. Click on this link to review the types of debris.

Debris may be a consequence of any type of disaster—natural or human-caused. The six major debris-generating disasters are caused by natural hazards:

Most disasters result in a mix of debris, but the characteristics and severity of the disaster influence the types and magnitude of debris generated.

Click on this link to view the typical debris generated by the six major debris-generating disaster types.

There are two major phases to debris operations.

• The response phase occurs during and immediately after an event, to clear emergency access routes, eliminate immediate threats to life and property, restore essential services, and facilitate damage assessments, especially damage to critical facilities.
• The recovery phase deals with major debris removal and disposal operations. It involves moving debris to temporary storage sites for volume reduction, or to landfills for permanent disposal.

Both phases require careful planning. It is recommended that all debris removal planning be included in a local Debris Management Plan.

Implementation of the debris management strategy results in a Debris Management Plan which describes:

• The types of disasters most likely to occur.
• The degree of damage likely to occur.
• The type and quantity of equipment and personnel available within the jurisdiction for debris operations.
• Other sources of equipment and personnel available outside the jurisdiction. These sources include private contractors.

The Debris Management Plan should also include:

• Staff safety, training, and exercising provisions.
• The forecasted amount of debris for each type of disaster and the locations where the debris is most likely.
• Debris collection methods identifying priorities, response operations, and recovery operations.
• Debris management sites, including locations for sorting, recycling, reducing, and disposal of the anticipated types of debris.
• Contracted services, including the services to be outsourced and the process for emergency contracting.

Other elements covered in the debris management plan are:

• Plans for removing debris from private property that poses an immediate threat to the public-at-large. Processes addressed include condemnation and hazardous materials removal procedures.
• Public information considerations, including identification of the Public Information Officer, public service announcements (PSAs) for each type of disaster anticipated, and a strategy for distribution to the media.

Some or all of these considerations may be included in the jurisdiction’s emergency operations plan (EOP). If that is the case, the EOP may be incorporated by reference in the Debris Management Plan.

Click on this link to review a sample Debris Management Plan outline.

1. Staff Roles and Responsibilities
   1. Staffing Organizational Chart
   2. Roles and Responsibilities
      1. Staffing Assignments and Duties
      2. Administration
      3. Contracting and Procurement
      4. Legal
      5. Operations
      6. Engineering
   3. Emergency Communications Strategy
   4. Health and Safety Strategy and Procedures
   5. Training Schedule
2. Situation and Assumptions
   1. Design Disaster Event
   2. Forecasted Debris
      1. Forecasted Types
      2. Forecasted Locations
3. Debris Collection Plan
   1. List Priorities
   2. Response Operations
   3. Recovery Operations
      1. Estimating Staff, Procedures, and Assignments
      2. Collection Method
         1. Curbside Collection
         2. Collection Centers
      3. Collecting Hazardous Waste and White Goods
      4. Monitoring Staff and Assignments
4. Debris Management Sites
   1. Site Management
      1. Site Manager
      2. Monitoring Staff and Assignments
      3. Safety Personnel
   2. Establishment and Operations Planning
      1. Permits
      2. Locations
         1. Baseline Data for Each Location
         2. Ingress/Egress for Sites
      3. Site Layout
      4. Site Preparation
      5. Volume Reduction Methods
         1. Incineration
         2. Grinding and Chipping
      6. Recycling
      7. Environmental Monitoring Program
      8. Site Closure
5. Contracted Services
   1. Emergency Contracting/Procurement Procedures
   2. Debris Operations to be Outsourced
   3. General Contract Provisions
   4. Qualification Requirements
   5. Solicitation of Contractors
6. Private Property Demolition and Debris Removal
   1. Condemnation Criteria and Procedures
      1. Legal Documentation
      2. Demolition Permitting
      3. Inspections
   2. Mobile Home Park Procedures
   3. Navigation Hazard Removal Procedures
7. Public Information Strategy
   1. Public Information Officer
   2. Prescripted Information
   3. Distribution Strategy
8. Appendixes
   • Maps of Jurisdiction and Priorities
   • Staffing Assignment Maps
   • Load Ticket
   • Debris Monitor Reports
   • Truck Certification List
   • Load Ticket System

Activation of the Debris Management Plan occurs during the initial response phase when the debris management team assumes responsibility for:

• Clearing high-priority roads, critical facilities, and infrastructure.
• Opening debris management sites (DMSs) for temporary debris storage and volume reduction.
• Addressing legal, environmental, and health issues.
• Informing residents when debris operations will take place in their neighborhoods.
• Documenting costs. Coordinating and tracking personnel and equipment.
• Using force account labor and contractors for debris removal.

Recovery activities include:

• Removal of debris from rights-of-way and public property.
• Hauling debris to debris management sites.
• Recycling/reduction of debris.
• Hauling nonrecyclable debris to permanent landfills.
• Completing final disposal or other designated use of all debris.
• Closing DMS or other collection sites.

Forecasting the type and quantity of debris to expect from a disaster event is an effective planning strategy. Debris forecasts enable the local debris management staff to plan:

• Response and recovery resources.
• Number and size of debris storage and reduction sites.
• Final disposition of disaster-related debris.

Techniques and methods for forecasting are continually being developed and refined. A realistic debris forecast may be generated by studying the impact of previous disaster events.

Debris estimates are normally included in the disaster Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA). Debris located on public and private property is recorded separately by PDA inspectors.

The initial debris assessment should:

• Estimate the quantity and mix of debris.
• Determine its impact on critical facilities.
• Identify its impact on residential and commercial areas.

The different types of debris and special considerations for its removal and management make it difficult to estimate the amount of debris to be removed. Formulas are used to estimate cubic yards of debris to be removed.

Using aerial photographs, in combination with ground measurements, double-checks estimates and helps determine if there are any voids in the middle of large debris piles.

Click on this link to view debris estimating formulas.

Immediately following a disaster, debris removal is a high priority. Delays in debris clearance will cause impatience on the part of the public and less confidence in the overall disaster response.

Despite public concern, debris-removal personnel need to follow established procedures to ensure that debris is collected:

• As quickly as possible.
• As efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
• As safely as possible.

It’s important, then, to select and implement the collection method that is appropriate to the debris type and location. Collection methods are described on the following screens.

Because of the various debris types and different handling requirements, debris operations professionals have developed techniques for collecting, handling, and disposing of debris. Debris collection options include:

• Separating debris by type.
• Recyclable materials
• Household hazardous waste
• Using curbsides as temporary debris holding areas.
• Designating collection centers.

Curbside is the legal public right-of-way. Curbside collection parallels normal garbage and trash collection operations, and may be designated for either mixed debris or source-segregated collection.

Debris may be moved from the roadways to the curb soon after the disaster occurs. These curbside piles may become the dumping places for debris coming from private residences as cleanup begins. It’s critical that public notice is given so residents are aware of the specific types of debris eligible for curbside collection.

Mixed debris collection allows residents to place all debris types at a specified collection area. Mixed debris collection is more convenient for citizens but it:

• Prolongs recycling and reduction efforts.
• Increases operational costs.

Source-segregated collection requires citizens to separate debris by material type. Source segregation:

• Is an efficient process for materials that can be recycled or reduced.
• Increases salvage value.
• Reduces labor cost.

The main disadvantage to source-segregated collection is that it requires more trucks, thus increasing equipment costs.

Hazardous materials, including household hazardous waste (HHW) and white goods are two common types of debris that need special handling. HHW should be separated at the curbside or taken to a specific disposal site. HHW mixed with other debris types will contaminate the entire load, and quickly escalate the overall cost of debris disposal.

White goods containing refrigerants and other regulated machine fluids need to be disposed of at a certified recycling center.

Many communities host special “round-up” collections during the year to allow residents to dispose of these items safely and legally. Several collections should be conducted following a disaster event to avoid commingling HHW with other types of debris.

Collection centers provide a temporary location for residents to bring their debris. Collection centers are typically located on a large public tract. Large roll-off bins may be placed on the site for residents to bring their debris. This method is well suited for rural and suburban areas where curbside collection is not feasible.

Using collection centers is more efficient for segregating debris types but requires proper planning and staffing. After segregating debris at the collection center, it should be taken directly to either a debris management site or a landfill site.

Moving debris is a large part of debris management. Haphazard processing from pickup sites to final disposal increases the removal timeframe and drives up costs. In some cases, pickup and disposition of animal carcasses or medical waste can cause health hazards.

Experienced debris managers have developed a system for organizing and processing debris. The system will be described on the following screens.

Debris management sites (DMSs) are temporary locations where debris can be hauled and segregated for recycling or reduction. Recycling may take place onsite, or may be picked up by a recycling firm.

Reduction, especially of woody debris, usually occurs at a DMS. Reduced debris can be used for other purposes. For example, mulch can be provided to the public. Otherwise, the debris is hauled to a landfill or final disposition location.

In a small disaster, a community with available landfills or where debris is not easily reduced or recycled might not need to establish a DMS.

Click on this link to review the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a DMS.

Identifying potential sites before a major natural disaster expedites activation of the debris removal operation. Site selection is based on the following criteria:

• Ownership
• Size
• Location
• Environmental and historic preservation concerns

A current listing of potential sites should be maintained in the Debris Management Plan.

A suitable DMS has:

• Ingress and egress routes that allow for good traffic flow.
• Inspection towers that allow close inspection of trucks.
• Clearly defined segregation areas.
• Clearly identified reduction sites.

Communities establishing a DMS must have a completed baseline environmental study and environmental monitoring plan on hand.

Click on this link to review the DMS traffic patterns and requirements for environmental study and monitoring plans.

DMS closure is an important portion of the debris mission. All operations must be completed and the site cleared and cleaned of all debris before closing the site. Current environmental data on soil and water should be compared to baseline data taken before the site was activated. Generally, all sites must be restored to their prior condition. The steps involved include confirmation that the:

• Debris operations are complete.
• Site is cleared and cleaned of all debris.
• Final environmental sampling is obtained.
• Site is restored to prior condition.
• Property owner is satisfied (if leased property).

Debris reduction and recycling have financial and environmental advantages. Reduction and recycling can decrease the overall cost of debris operations by reducing the amount of material taken to a landfill.

The primary methods of volume reduction are:

• Incineration, reducing vegetative debris up to 95 percent.
• Chipping and grinding, reducing vegetative debris up to 75 percent.

Recycling vegetative debris for homeowner and agricultural purposes or fuel for industrial heating is one advantage of chipping and grinding.

Large-scale recycling operations are very effective following hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. The materials listed below should be recycled whenever possible.

• Metals: Crushed and shredded house trailers, appliances, and other metal products can be prepared for recycling using metal maulers and shredders.
• Construction Materials: Concrete, asphalt, and masonry products may be crushed for base material in road construction.
• Plastics and Glass: Plastics may be shredded, bailed, and palletized. Glass may be melted and reused.
• Soil: Soil, combined with decomposed organic materials, may be recycled for agricultural use or fill material.
• Vegetative Debris: Ground debris may be composted for mulch.

This lesson described the types of debris and explained the phases of debris operations. Debris collection methods and techniques for estimating debris were also described.

Lesson 4 will cover critical issues with debris removal operations.