Disaster Debris Management Plan

Wake County

Stefanie Gorden
Overview
Purpose
Debris resulting from a disaster event can be detrimental to the community and can disrupt the
recovery process. Debris appears in many different forms and can pose hazardous health and
safety concerns to the entire area. The purpose of this plan is to construct a debris management
process to aid the operations of a functional and efficient response and recovery from the disaster
event.
Objectives
 Assign roles and responsibilities
 Create debris reduction procedure
 Remove debris from major roads
 Store and dispose of debris

Events and Assumptions

Disaster Debris Streams

Typical Debris Streams White Goods

Property/ House

Putrescent
Vegetative

VesselsVehicles &
Hazardous Household

&SandSoil, Mud
WasteHazardous
DemolitionConstruction &

Personal
Items

Airplane Accident x x x
Dam Failure x x x x
Types of Disasters

Earthquake x x x
Flood x x x x x x x x
Hurricane x x x x x x x x
Terrorist Attack x x x
Tornado x x x x x x x
Wildland Fire x x x x x
Winter Storm x x

Historical Events
Listed are past disasters in or near Wake County
1. Hurricane Matthew- debris generated
2. Hurricane Florence- debris generated
3. Hurricane Michael- debris generated
4. Hurricane Irene- debris generated
5. Severe storms, tornadoes and flooding- debris generated
6. Severe winter storm- debris not generated

Debris Forecasts
Q3= H (26) (1.3) (1.3) (1.3)
Q4= H (50) (1.3) (1.3) (1.3)
Table 1: Disaster Debris Quantity Forecasts
Category 3 Debris (Cubic Category 4 Debris (Cubic Yards)
Yards)
1. Total 20,798,177.3 39,996,494.8
2. Vegetative (30%) 6,239,453.2 11,998,948.4
3. Construction and 14,558,724.1 27,997,546.4
Demolition (70%)
3a. Burnable but requires 6,114,664.1 11,758,969.5
storing (42%)
3b. Soil (5%) 727,936.2 1,399,877.3
3c. Metals (15%) 2,183,808.6 4,199,631.9
3d. Landfilled (38%) 5,532,315.2 10,639,067.6

Table 2: Disaster Debris Required Storage Forecasts

Category 3 (Cubic Yards) Category 4 (Cubic Yards)

1. Total Debris (Cubic Yards) 20,798,177.3 39,996,494.8

2. Required Acres for Debris 1,290.4 acres 2,481.6 acres

Storage without Buffers
(Assume 16,117 cy of debris
per acre)
 3. Required Acres for Debris 2,142 acres 4,119.5 acres
Storage with Buffers
(Increase acreage by a
factor of 1.66)

Debris Collection and Removal

Debris Removal Priorities

Debris Collection Strategy

Urban areas will have source segregated curbside collection to make the debris removal process
easier for those residing in the city while still promoting recycling practices. Rural areas will
have designated collection centers. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can contaminate other
types of debris. To prevent this, there will be trainings for HHW response teams.
 Contact Information
NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Regional Office – Raleigh
(919) 791-4200
3800 Barrett Dr. Raleigh, NC 27609
Division of Environmental Health
(919) 707-5854
5605 Six Forks Rd. Raleigh, NC 27609
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – RTP Area
109 T.W. Alexander Dr. Durham, NC 27709

Roles and Responsibilities for Debris Collection and Removal

Debris Management Roles and Responsibilities for Wake County, NC
Name Tasks Contact Information

Debris Manager Has overall responsibility County Director of Emergency

Administration
Contracting and Procurement
Legal
Engineering/ Planning
Public Information Officer
(PIO)
for operations, sssigns Management- Joshua Creighton
tasks to team members and (919) 856-6485
tracks completion of tasks
Manages records of all Office of Budget and Fiscal
documentation required for Services- Michelle Venditto
the Public Assistance Budget Director
grants (919) 856- 5484
Advertises for contractor Purchasing Office- Tom Wester
bids and develops Director
contractor requirements (919) 856-6153
and qualifications
Reviews contracts, ensures County Attorney- Scott W.
environmental and historic Warren
preservation compliance (919) 856-5500
Provides solutions for Department of Planning
debris operations and (919) 856-6310
manages the DMS
Informs public on debris County Emergency
separation, collection and Management Office
removal policies, and (919) 856-6340
provides press release of
debris removal process
Debris Disposal Locations and Debris Management Sites
Open Land Area to accommodate debris storage forecasts:
Blue Jay Point County Park will be the designated open land area used for debris storage. It is a
236 acre park located on the shores of Falls Lake in northern Wake County. The Blue Jay Point
mission is to offer environmental education programs in a natural setting. It is a public facility
owned and operated by Wake County.

Location:
3200 Pleasant Union Church Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27614

Baseline Data Collection is crucial to documenting the condition of the land before it is used as a
Debris Management Site (DMS). The steps to documenting baseline data are:
1. Videotape and/or photograph the site
2. Document physical features
3. Investigation of historic significance
4. Sample soil and water

Environmental permits and land-use variances are sometimes required to establish a DMS. The
potential permits required to establish a facility in Wake County are:
1. Temporary land-use permits
2. Land-use variances
3. Air quality permits
4. Water quality permits
5. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) permits
6. Fire department permits
7. Waste processing and recycling operations permit

Site Layout:
There are roads and parking lots throughout the Blue Jay County Park because it is a family-
oriented and tourist location, so there is room for trucks and personnel. The methods we would
use to reduce the debris is compactors and recycling methods. We will temporarily store HHW at
the DMS, however it will be kept separate and contained from other debris to prevent
contamination.

Once all debris has been removed and transferred to a facility for final disposal, the Blue Jay
County Park must be restored to its initial environmental state, prior to it being returned to Wake
County.
Multi-Material Recycling Facilities for final disposal:
1. North Wake
9029 Deponie Dr.
Raleigh, NC
(919) 845-4540
2. East Wake
5051 Wendell Blvd. /Business 64
Wendell, NC
(919) 365-6650
3. South Wake
6130 Old Smithfield Rd.
Apex, NC
(919) 422-2028

Private Property Debris Removal and Demolition

Private property debris removal is typically the responsibility of the homeowners EXCEPT in
extreme cases where public health, life, safety, and the economic recovery of the community-at-
large are at risk.
Legal Documentation for Demolition
1. Verification of ownership ensures that the proper site and owner are identified, and the
owner is aware of the scheduled building assessment.
2. A right of entry form signed by the homeowner and allows the building official to enter
the property to complete the assessment. This usually contains a hold harmless agreement
that documents the property owner’s promise that he/she will not bring legal action
against the applicant if there is damage or harm done to the property.
3. Verification of insurance information allows the applicant to pursue financial
compensation if the property owner’s homeowner insurance policy covers demolition and
debris removal.
4. Photos that show the disaster-damaged condition of the property prior to the beginning of
the demolition work.
Demolition Permitting
1. A site map exhibiting all structures including other features of interest.
2. Site ingress and egress showing the fronting streets and planned route for the project.
This may include a traffic movement strategy.
3. Site preparation documents illustrating any pre-demolition work that might be required.
Some examples of pre-demolition work are utility pole adjustments and vegetation
removal.
Inspections
1. Water and sewer/septic tank inspections verify the utilities have been terminated and
isolated from the proposed sphere of influence during the demolition operations.
2. Occupancy inspections are conducted immediately prior to demolition to ensure that no
one is physically inside the building.
3. Post-demolition inspections are conducted once the structure is demolished, the debris is
removed, and the site is graded.

Use and Procurement of Contracted Services

Contracted services
Possible contracted services needed in Wake County are:
1. Collection
2. Reduction or recycling
3. Hazardous waste handling, processing, and disposal
4. Hauling to final disposition
5. Monitoring
6. Project management
Procurement Considerations
Contractors must meet minimum requirements such as bonding, insurance and licensing prior to
being awarded a contract by an applicant. Applicants may advertise a Request for Qualifications
(RFC) for contractors to establish their company as a credible candidate for a contract award.
The pre-qualified contractors on the list are invited to bid on a contract.
Type of Contract
Wake County will be using a unit price contract. The schedule of payment for unit price
contracts is based on a set cost for a specific task such as moving a set amount of debris for a set
price. This type of contract is typically used when the individual tasks that need to be completed
are known, but the specific amount of work required is not known.

Monitoring of Debris Operations

We will use force account resources which is when applicants use their own employees to
monitor the debris removal operations because they are familiar with the debris management
plan and the jurisdiction. A debris monitor report will be used and it will look like the one below.
Time Truck No. Capacity Volume or Weight Pick Up Location Comments
The truck certification forms used by debris monitors will look like the one below.

A computer based system will be used to track the load tickets because this advanced form of
technology allows less room for human error and expedites funding.

Health and Safety Strategy

Public Health
Examples of primary health effects are:
1. Injury from falling debris which can be alleviated by stricter building codes and public
education of where to take shelter.
2. Exposure to hazardous waste which can be alleviated by quick clean up and
storage/disposal of such materials in separate and closed containers or at a separate site.
Examples of secondary health effects are:
1. A health issue worsened by inaccessibility to a hospital which can be alleviated by
alternative routes to such locations and creating temporary offices for health care
providers/emergency personnel.
2. Spread of mosquito-borne illnesses due to clogged drainage systems which can be
alleviated by taking vector control measures such as the use of bed nets and insect
repellents until the drainage systems can be cleared.
3. Infestation of insects from putrescent debris which can be alleviated by quick clean up
and storage/disposal of the material in a separate and closed container or at a separate
site.
4. Phlegm infections from incineration at the DMS which can be alleviated by moving the
burning of materials to separate sites.
Worker Safety
Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is clothing and other garments designed to protect the
wearer’s body from injury and infection.
1. Foot protection: footwear for the activity being performed. Take into consideration the
environmental conditions such as flooding for water protection.
2. Eye protection: safety glasses with side shields.
3. Head protection: hard hats or helmets in areas where overhead or electrical hazards are
present.
4. Appropriate work clothing: appropriate clothing that protects the wearer from hazards in
the general work environment that may cause cuts, abrasions, irritation, or overexposure
to sunlight. Take into consideration weather conditions to avoid heat and cold stress
issues.
5. Hand protection: gloves specific to job hazards.
Dissemination of Information:
The monitors and debris removal contractor’s project managers will be given specific safety
guidelines. It is their responsibility to disseminate the information and guidelines to their
personnel.
Compliance:
The monitors and debris removal contractor’s project managers are responsible for the health and
safety compliance of their personnel and subcontractors. Any crew members or individuals who
are not compliant shall be suspended/removed from the debris removal project until the issue is
resolved. Frequent offenders of safety policies and procedures will be permanently removed
from the project.
 Environmental and Historic Preservation Regulations
Federal Name Description State Counterpart
The Resource Conservation and Requires safe disposal of .0101 General
Recovery Act waste materials, promotes
recycling of waste materials,
and encourages cooperation
with local agencies
The Resource Conservation and Requires spills and releases .0901 Spills and Releases
Recovery Act be reported in accordance
with state and federal
requirements
The Clean Water Act Establishes the basic structure .0202 Definitions
for regulating discharges of
pollutants into U.S. waters
The Clean Water Act Establishes the basic structure .0503 Siting and Design
for regulating discharges of Requirements for Disposal Sites
pollutants into U.S. waters
NEPA Requires federal agencies to North Carolina Environmental
follow a specific planning Policy Act
process ensuring decision-
makers and applicants
consider environmental
consequences

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein- Dept. of Justice, P.O. Box 629, Raleigh, NC 27602

Public Information Strategy

Information regarding curbside debris collection:
The final collection date is 48 hours after the disaster event.
The types of debris that will be collected are personal property/ house items, white goods,
vegetative debris, and construction and demolition (C&D).
Wake County will provide two passes a day.
Information regarding debris collection centers:
The daily collection center hours for North Wake, South Wake and East Wake Multi-Material
Recycling Facilities are 8 am – 4 pm Monday through Saturday; Closed Sunday.
The types of debris that will be accepted at these centers are hazardous waste, household
hazardous waste (HHW), white goods, and personal property/house items.
These collection centers will accept disaster-related debris up to 72 hours after the disaster event.