PLANNING FOR THE TEMPORARY DISPOSAL OF DISASTER DEBRIS
“WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT IT?”
Robert C. Swan
12472 Lake Underhill Road
Orlando, FL 32828
Weather related disasters have increased in intensity and occurrence during the past 20 years. Twenty-one of these
disasters occurred during the August 1992-May 1997 period with total damages/costs of approximately $90 billion and 911
deaths. In 2003, Hurricane Isabel created over 20 million cubic yards of debris within Virginia alone. Hurricanes Charlie,
Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne set new records for vegetative debris within the State of Florida and highlighted the need to
identify temporary debris staging and volume reduction sites prior to a potential debris-generating disaster. Palm Beach
County alone moved over 2.5 million cubic yards of debris to ten temporary staging sites in 56 days following Hurricanes
Frances and Jeanne.
Urban population centers continue to grow into areas of high risk for potential property loss due to major debris-generating
events such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes and terrorist activities. The costs associated with
cleaning up after such events continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, not to mention the associated costs for lost
property and wages due to lengthy debris removal and disposal operations. Over $4.3 million reimbursement from FEMA
for Hurricane Isabel and over $1.5 million for the California fires. The costs associated with debris removal and disposal
operations for the 2004 Florida hurricanes will be in the billions of dollars.
This paper addresses the issue of managing the disposal of debris associated with a catastrophic disaster debris-generating
event. Emphasis is placed on local and county debris planning and management responsibilities with regard to identifying
and permitting potential Temporary Debris Staging and Reduction (TDSR) sites.
The first step in developing a comprehensive Debris Management Plan is to determine how much debris will be generated
and where will it be disposed of. Current static spreadsheet prediction models and Geographic Information System (GIS)
based debris modeling applications are means available to assist in predicting debris quantities and evaluating the impact on
existing landfill capacities. In most cases disaster debris must be taken to a temporary staging site for either separation or
volume reduction to lessen the impact on critical landfill space. Having pre identified TDSR sites as part of a complete
Debris Management Plan will expedite the cleanup process.
Most natural disasters generate debris in quantities that will overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and
force communities to use disposal options that otherwise would not be acceptable. Failure to act in a timely manner may
impact community health and economic recovery. Debris removal is an important key to timely recovery of business, the
viability of neighborhoods and the continuity of government. Unfortunately, the debris management of the marketplace has
traditionally been left to chance, market forces, or ad hoc liaisons created in the chaotic aftermath of the event.
A sound Debris Management Plan will help a community to overcome these forces resulting in a coordinated approach to
expedite the debris removal and disposal effort. A systematic means to identify and classify potential TDSR sites becomes
a critical element of the planning process and the results an important appendix to the Debris Management Plan.
The first step in identifying TDSR sites is to have a method to predict potential debris quantities. Quantities can be
predicted using past experience, or debris modeling methods. The US Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) develop a
spreadsheet debris prediction model following Hurricane Andrew. It was based on factors observed from numerous Gulf of
Mexico and Atlantic Ocean Hurricanes. The formula developed by the USACE has a predicted accuracy of + or – 30%.
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The primary factors utilized are:
• Cubic yards of debris generated per household per storm category
• Vegetative cover
• Commercial density
• Precipitation.
Household debris includes damage to the house, contents and surrounding shrubs and trees. The vegetative cover includes
all trees and shrubbery located along public rights-of-way, parks, and residential areas. Commercial density includes debris
generated by damage to business and industrial facilities. Precipitation from very wet storms will cause ground saturation
resulting in increased probability of complete trees falling.
The model can be used for worst case scenario planning for the subject area. A sample spreadsheet of the USACE Debris
Prediction Model for the City of Clearwater, FL is shown on the following page. Note that the formula used is Q= H
(C)(V)(B)(S) where
•
•
•
•
•
•
Q is the quantity of debris in cubic yards
H is the number of single family households
C is the storm category factor in cubic yards
V is the vegetation characteristic multiplier
B is the commercial/business/industrial use multiplier
S is the storm precipitation characteristic multiplier
The C value is: Category 1=2cy; Category 2=8cy; Category 3=26cy; Category 4=50cy; and Category 5=80 cy
The vegetation multipliers are 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5 for light, medium, and heavy vegetation. The commercial multipliers are
1.0, 1.2 and 1.3 for light, medium, and heavy commercial density. The precipitation multiplier is 1.0 for none to light and
1.3 for medium to heavy.
The USACE model can also be used to arrive at estimated TDSR site requirements using the following formula: Total
volume per acre= 4,840 square yards (sy) x 3.33 yards (y) [Estimated debris pile stack height of 10 feet]. 4,840 x 3.33 =
16,117 cy per acre. If you have an estimate of 2,000,000 cubic yards of debris you will need approximately 124 acres of
open space for temporary debris staging and reduction operations.
As can be seen the USACE Debris Prediction Model is a static spread sheet that cannot be easily
applied after an event. It treats the entire area as being impacted uniformly and was designed for predicting only debris
from hurricanes.
Geographic Information System (GIS) Debris Management Applications are a major improvement over the USACE Debris
Prediction Model. Utilizing the latest in computer technology and available local or county data bases, GIS can manipulate
the data to not only predict debris prior to landfall, but estimate quantities by either region, municipal boundaries, or by
defining selected areas impacted by the debris generating event. Moreover, GIS applications can also be used for
predicting or estimating flooding, tornadoes, and even bomb blast debris quantities. Expanded capabilities also include
tracking of debris cleanup following the disaster at street level. Available digital photographs of the area can be utilized to
identify potential TDSR sites and data bases can be quickly quarried to determine size and ownership.
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US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS DEBRIS PREDICTION MODEL
Category 1
Hurricane
Estimated Debris
Quantities
Category 2
Hurricane
Category 3
Hurricane
Clearwater,
FL
Population:
Category 4
Hurricane
Category 5
Hurricane
108,787
74-95
MPH
Winds
96-110
MPH
Winds
111-130
MPH
Winds
131-155
MPH
Winds
155+
MPH
Winds
Estimated damage @ 50% of total single
family homes
Category
1
Single Family Homes Affected
Category Factor
Vegetation
Commercial Density
Precipitation
56,802
Category
2
Category
3
Category
4
Category
5
50%
C
V
B
S
28,401
2
1.5
1
1.3
28,401
8
1.5
1
1.3
28,401
26
1.5
1
1.3
28,401
50
1.5
1
1.3
28,401
80
1.5
1
1.3
Cubic Yds
110,764
443,056
1,439,931
2,769,098
4,430,556
1.66
640
Cubic Yds
Acres
Acres
Sq. Miles
110,764
7
11
0.0
443,056
27
46
0.1
1,439,931
89
148
0.2
2,769,098
171
285
0.4
4,430,556
274
455
0.7
30.00%
70.00%
Cubic Yds
Cubic Yds
33,229
77,535
132,917
310,139
431,979
1,007,951
830,729
1,938,368
1,329,167
3,101,389
42.00%
5.00%
15.00%
38.00%
Cubic Yds
Cubic Yds
Cubic Yds
Cubic Yds
32,565
3,877
11,630
29,463
130,258
15,507
46,521
117,853
423,340
50,398
151,193
383,022
814,115
96,918
290,755
736,580
1,302,583
155,069
465,208
1,178,528
Q= H(C)(V)(B)(S)
Debris Reduction Site
Requirements
1 Acre (ac)
10 Feet stack height
Total volume per acre
Q=H(C)(V)(B)(S)
Acres Required
Road Buffers, etc.
1 sq. mile = 640 acres
4840
3.3
16117.17
Debris Classification
Clean woody debris
Mixed C&D
Mixed C&D
Burnable
Soil
Metals
Landfilled
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The GIS Debris Management Applications can be a very valuable tool in the management of debris cleanup operations and
the preliminary selection of TDSR sites. However, whatever method is used to determine the predicted or actual quantity
of debris and the size of the area for staging and reduction, someone must still make a ground reconnaissance and evaluate
the site before any debris is transported to the site. An example site investigation form is show below.
Temporary Debris Staging and Reductin (Tdsr) Site Investigation Form
TEMPORARY DEBRIS STAGING AND REDUCTIN (TDSR) SITE INVESTIGATION FORM
DATE
SITE NAME
SITE ADDRESS
SITE COORDINATES
SITE DESCRIPTION
SITE RECOMMENDED FOR USE:
CHARACTERISTIC
Public Property
In 100 Year Floodplain
>200 Acres
>100 Acres
>50 Acres
<50 Acres
YES
YES
NO
NO
CHARACTERISTIC
Surface Drainage
Noise Acceptability
Smoke Acceptability
Suitable Ingress/Egress
Suitable in Wet Weather
Site Lends Itself to Easy
Preparation
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
Close to Schools, Hospitals,
Residential, Churches
Obvious Environmental
Concerns
Mostly Open/Clear
Wetlands/Creeks/Ponds
Developed
Brownfield
Paved Surfaces
Already Fenced
Adjacent to Airfield
On-site Utilities
Requires Access
Roads/Internal Roads
Capable of Handling Large
No. of Vehicles
Proximity to Major Roadway
COMMENTS:
VEGETATIVE COVER: NONE
LIGHT
CLOSEST LANDFILL AND APPROX. DISTANCE:
OWNER’S NAME:
OWNER’S ADDRESS:
PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN: YES
PHOTOGRAPH NUMBERS:
MEDIUM
DENSE
NO
SKETCH ON BACK
Site Selection Teams
Pre-disaster site selection teams should be created using local officials who are familiar with the area. The teams should
have engineering and environmental representation. Environmental sensitive areas should be avoided. Examples include
wetlands, endangered plants or animals, and critical habits. Historical and archaeological sites should also be avoided.
These restrictions are noted on the TDSR Site Investigation Form.
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The TDSR Site Investigation Form is used to evaluate the suitability of the site for future debris staging and volume
reduction operations. If the site meets established acceptance criteria additional steps must be taken before opening the site
for operations.
Some states have specific guidance that must be followed to get the TDSR site permitted before it can be used. The
following is a modified example of the permitting procedures that must be followed in the Commonwealth of Virginia as
specified by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Refer to the Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality web site at: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/waste/wastepermit11.html for complete instructions.
Emergency Debris Permitting Criteria
EMERGENCY DEBRIS WASTEPILE PERMITTING CRITERIA
This is an application for an emergency permit to dispose of waste generated as the result of natural or manmade disasters.
The emergency permit request may be oral or written. If oral, it shall be followed within five days by a written emergency
permit application. Oral responses can only be given if the applicant is fully aware of the siting requirements outlined in
this application, otherwise a written request must be provided using this application. Mail or fax the written request to the
Department of Environmental Quality
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Expected or current emergency
Authority or Agency
Primary Contact’s Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone Number / Fax Number
Site Location (latitude/longitude or directions from major roads)
Site Name
City, State, Zip
Owner of Site
Owner’s Address, City, State, Zip, Phone Number / Fax Number
Approximate size (acres)
List expected types of waste
Typical treatment, storage and disposal options
EMERGENCY DEBRIS WASTEPILE SITING CRITERIA
1. Site Location Map Attached (Not prone to base floods [100 year flood plain, coastal flooding] or inundation.
2. Copy of FEMA Map or Equivalent is attached
3. Site is geologically stable.
4. Site has adequate berm area and terrain to manage leachate release. Not closer than 100 feet from any regularly
flowing surface water body or river.
5. 200 feet from any well, spring, or other groundwater source of drinking water. (WETLANDS SHALL NOT BE
IMPACTED.)
6. US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Map is attached.
• Site characteristics
• Slopes less than 33%
• No springs seeps or other groundwater intrusions
• No gas, water, sewage, or electrical or other transmission lines under the site
• No existing open dump, unpermitted landfill, lagoon, or similar facility on site.
7. Specific site conditions which may be considered for exemption (applies only to site characteristics)
8. No strip mines, exposed bedrock or quarries present.
9. Fifty-foot firebreak around disposal areas and from all tree lines
10. Does not impact cemeteries (public, private, pet) or culturally sensitive areas.
11. Has ample access for delivery vehicles.
12. Is anticipated waste acceptable for disposal?
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13. Can the waste be segregated for disposal?
14. Public notice form with required information attached.
15. For pre-selected sites, was a public meeting held?
• Public Meeting Location: Date: ______/______ /________ (mm/dd/yyyy)
16. Can the site be closed in accordance with Department standards?
Conclusion
In conclusion, identification, selection, and permitting of Temporary Debris Staging and Reduction sites are not easy
procedures. This is especially true if sites are not identified prior to a major debris-generating event and local solid waste
officials are under pressure to expedite the cleanup process. Consequently, local solid waste officials should continually
update their Debris Management Plans to insure that current sites are still available and that potential sites are properly
evaluated and permitted prior to the next debris-generating event. Are you prepared?
References:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Public Assistance Debris Management Guide, FEMA 325, April 1999
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Web site: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/waste/wastepermit11.html
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