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EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
I.
APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
INTRODUCTION
A.
Purpose
The purpose of this appendix is to provide guidance on establishing debris
management sites.
A Debris Management Site (DMS) is a location to
temporarily store, reduce, segregate and/or process debris before it is hauled
to its final disposition. A DMS is frequently used to increase the operational
flexibility when landfill space is limited or when the landfill is not in close
proximity to the debris removal area.
B.
Scope
This appendix has been developed to be used in the planning phase for debris
management operations, and also during the response and recovery phases
when a guide is needed to establish a debris management site.
II.
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
A.
B.
General
1.
The DMS should be established in an area that does not impede the
flow of traffic along major transportation corridors, disrupt local
business operations, or cause dangerous conditions in residential
neighborhoods or schools. A DMS shall not be located in a residential
area, near schools, churches, hospitals, or other sensitive areas.
2.
The DMS requires good ingress/egress to accommodate heavy truck
traffic.
Traffic signals should be adjusted to accommodate the
predicted truck traffic on critical routes.
3.
Consideration shall also be given to public acceptability when selecting
a potential DMS. Smoke from burning, around-the-clock light and
noise from equipment operation, dust, and traffic are generally
tolerated early in a disaster recovery operation, but may have to be
curtailed later.
Environmental & Historic Preservation Concerns
1.
C.
A DMS shall not be established in an environmentally or historically
sensitive area such as wetlands, critical animal and plant habitats, sole
source aquifers, freshwater well fields, historical districts or
archeological sites.
Baseline Data Collection
Baseline data collection is required in documenting the condition of the land
before it is used as a DMS. Private and public land utilized for a DMS shall be
returned to its original condition following the end of all debris operations.
The following actions are suggested to document the baseline data on the
potential DMS:
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EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
D.
APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
1.
Videotape / Photographs – Thoroughly videotape and/or
photograph each site before beginning any activities. Periodically
update to track site evolution.
2.
Document Physical Features – Note existing structures, fences,
culverts, irrigation systems, and landscaping that can help evaluate
possible damage claims made later.
3.
Investigation of Historic Significance – Research the past use and
ownership of the property to document any issues regarding the
existence of historic structures or archeological sites.
4.
Sample Soil and Water – Soil and groundwater samples should be
collected prior to use of the site.
Environmental Monitoring
As operations proceed, additional data should be collected throughout the
operations for closeout and quality assurance reasons. The data should then
be compared with the baseline data collected to determine any remediation
that may be necessary.
E.
1.
Site Operation Layout – As the DMS operates, the site layout may
change due to a reduction or increase of services provided. It is
important to track HHW collection, equipment and fuel storage, and
any other operations which may cause soil and water contamination.
With an accurate site operation map, these areas can be evaluated for
additional sampling after the site has been closed.
2.
Document Quality Assurance Issues – Document operations that
will have a bearing on site closeout, such as petroleum spills at fueling
sites, hydraulic fluid spills at equipment breakdowns, installation of
water wells for stock pile cooling or dust control, discovery of HHW,
and commercial, agricultural, or industrial hazardous and toxic waste
storage and disposal.
3.
Restoration of Site – Final restoration of the landscape must be
acceptable to the landowner, but within reasonable expectations.
Permits
Environmental and/or land use permits may be necessary dependent on
where the DMS is established. Local ordinances and regulations should be
consulted to ensure any special requirements are met.
F.
Establishment and Operation of the DMS
In order to assure that the site(s) identified for the DMS will be
accommodating to all tasks performed at the site, the following operational
considerations should be made when selecting a site.
1.
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Site Preparation – The topography and soil conditions should be
evaluated to determine the best site layout. Consideration should be
given on how to make site closeout and restoration easier.
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2.
Site Layout – Operational boundaries should be established within the
DMS. Common operational areas to consider include;
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Reduction;
Recycling;
Tipping areas (unloading);
Loading areas for processed debris to go to its final disposition;
Drop-off centers for the general public;
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) storage;
Monitoring tower locations at both the ingress and egress
points; and
Equipment, fuel, and water storage.
a)
The separation between all of the areas listed above needs to
be clearly delineated and defined.
b)
The reduction, recycling, tipping, and loading areas need ample
room for large equipment operations. The design should take
into consideration the possibility of multiple pieces of
equipment being in the same activity area at one time.
c)
General public drop-off areas for recycling, reduction, and
construction and demolition debris may be included within a
DMS. These public use areas should be carefully designed for
passenger vehicle traffic and public safety.
d)
HHW storage should be close to the public drop-off center yet
restricted so that qualified personnel may process the waste
appropriately.
In addition, the following items should be
considered;
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APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
The area to be used should be covered with plastic
sheeting, tarps or should be contained on a concrete
pad;
The area should be fenced off and surrounded with
absorbent booms or sandbags to absorb or contain any
potential leaks;
Wooden pallets or another form of storage should be
used to raise the collection bins off the ground;
Adequate space between pallets should be allowed for
ease of carrying and sorting items;
Materials should be segregated according to the nine
DOT Hazard Classes in separate containers and labeled
appropriately;
Containers should be covered or the entire HHW site
could be covered with a tent or tarp to prevent water
from collecting in bins;
Cylinders containing compressed gas should be placed
upright with cap on and secured in place; and
Provide a sufficient amount of fire extinguishers.
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e)
Monitoring towers should be located at ingress and egress
points and should be constructed of durable structural
materials.
f)
Equipment and fuel should have a designated storage area and
signs posted appropriately and should be designed to contain
spills.
3.
Traffic Patterns – The established traffic patterns through the DMS
should allow trucks to enter and exit through different access points,
as long as each is monitored.
4.
Site Management – The following personnel should be utilized at
each DMS established.
5.
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Site Manager – Responsible for supervising the day-to-day
operations, maintaining daily logs, preparing site progress
reports, and enforcing safety and permitting requirements
during site operations. The site manager is also responsible for
scheduling the environmental monitoring and updating the site
layout, in addition to providing oversight for monitoring the
activities of the debris removal contractors and onsite debris
processing contractors.
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Debris Monitors – Are placed at ingress and egress points in
order to quantify debris loads, issue load tickets, inspect and
validate truck capacities, check loads for hazardous waste, and
perform quality control checks.
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Safety Personnel – Are responsible for traffic control and
ensuring that site operations are in compliance with State and
Federal regulations.
Equipment Requirements for the DMS
a)
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
All personnel working at the DMS shall utilize the following
safety equipment;
● ANSI compliant foot protection;
● Safety glasses with side shields;
● Hard hats or helmets in areas where overhead hazards exist;
● Clothing appropriate for protecting individuals from hazards in
the general work environment that may cause cuts, abrasions,
irritation, or overexposure to sunlight; and
● Appropriate gloves suitable for the tasks being performed.
Consideration should be given to chemical hazards for the HHW
site.
NOTE: DMS staff working in or around temporary roadways at
the site shall also utilize ANSI compliant high-visibility apparel.
b)
Primary Equipment Considerations
The following list represents the equipment needed for the
initial establishment of a DMS site.
● Debris/earth moving equipment such as skid loaders, front
loaders, excavators, dump trucks and roll-off trucks;
● Chainsaws;
● Generators;
● Road signs to direct debris hauler traffic;
● Flares or other traffic control items; and
● Vehicle / Equipment repair items.
c)
Secondary Equipment Considerations
Once the DMS Site has been established and debris
management and reduction operations are initiated, the
following equipment may need to be considered;
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d)
Air monitoring equipment;
Cranes with cables and/or magnets;
Dumpsters and hoppers;
Forklifts;
Elevated platforms;
Jack hammers;
Pallets;
Plastic sheeting;
Sealable plastic drums; and
Wood grinders.
Tertiary Equipment Considerations
If a large volume of debris is observed, the following additional
equipment may be needed to process the debris;
● Air curtain incinerators;
● Conveyors; and
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APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
● Vibrating screen sorters.
6.
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Site Closure
a)
When the site operations are complete, the property must be
restored to its original condition before returning the site to the
property owner. Restoration of a site involves removing all
traces of the operations and possible remediation of any
contamination that may have taken place during the
operations.
b)
Debris, processing equipment, storage tanks, protection berms,
and other structures built on the site should be removed upon
completion of all debris removal and processing operations.
c)
Final environmental site evaluation should be performed at the
same locations of the baseline assessment.
d)
Based on the results of the testing, additional remediation may
be required before the owner takes final acceptance of the site.
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EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
APPENDIX 2
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITES
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITE CHECKLIST
PROCEDURES
TIME/DATE
DETERMINE A LOCATION FOR THE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT SITE:
1. Is the proposed site located on public property (preferred) or private property?
If ownership is private consider the following:
● Memorandums of Understanding / Agreements / Lease terms and conditions
2. Is the site large enough to accommodate the planned debris storage and
reduction method (50-100 acres)?
3. Will the proposed site allow for an efficient layout?
● Good ingress/egress
● Good transportation arteries
● Open, flat topography
4. When identifying a potential site, consider avoiding those locations with the
following characteristics;
● Wetlands
● Public water supplies (e.g., well fields, surface water)
● Areas home to threatened or endangered species
● Rare ecosystems
● Historical or archaeological sites
● Sensitive surrounding land use (e.g., schools, churches, residences)
5. Consider the prevailing winds of the potential site, especially when using debris
reduction methods such as open burning, etc.
SITE DOCUMENTATION / BASELINE DATA:
1. Photographs / video of location prior to establishing the site (consider aerial
imagery if available).
2. Notation of important features such as structures, fences, culverts, landscaping,
etc.
3. Consider soil sampling and water sampling if wells exist at the proposed site.
4. As the Debris Management Site operations continue, consider random soil and
water sampling throughout the site and also updating photography and
videography of the site.
5. Throughout the operation, document any damage sustained to equipment,
personal injury, and any other incidents such as fuel spills or property damage.
SITE REMEDIATION / TERMINATION:
1. Ensure all property damage has been repaired including disturbed or filled
wetlands.
2. All ash piles / remaining debris piles are removed and properly disposed of.
3. Permanent berms that were constructed are removed and topsoil restored.
4. All contractor equipment and temporary structures are removed.
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