Emergency Preparedness

Debris Management Plan

Project Overview

Natural disasters are a fact of life in most areas of the Unites States and generate large amounts of solid waste debris. This debris poses immediate public health and safety threats from disease, fire, and obstructions to emergency response activities in addition to the long-term environmental threats from debris storage and disposal operations. The Franklin County Debris Management Plan will be an important document to be used when responding to and recovering from the solid waste management issues related to all disasters. The Franklin Regional Council of Governments in coordination with the Franklin County Local Emergency Planning Committee and the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District are in process of creating a coordinated, regional approach for managing disaster-related debris in Franklin County. The Plan will address the need for major clean-up operations that require a combination of management options ranging from recycling, composting, incineration and landfilling in order to balance short-term public health threats and long-term environmental impacts. By planning ahead, disaster-related waste can be managed in the most environmentally sound manner possible in addition to maintaining the economic health of the region by complying with the reimbursement and grant requirements of our emergency management agencies.

Current Activities

A draft of the Disaster Debris Management Planning Document is available for review and comments:

Disaster Debris Management Planning Document (4.6M).

After incorporating review comments, the draft will be presented to the Franklin Regional Emergency Planning Committee for approval. Upon approval, the Planning Document will then become an annex to the Franklin County Regional Hazards Mitigation Plan. Work will proceed on the second phase of the project: Disaster Debris Action Manual. This is expected to be completed by September 2008. The Planning Document is organized in the following manner:

• Executive Summary
• Section 1: Introduction - The Franklin County Disaster Debris Management Planning Document is the first step in developing a regional debris plan. This section puts debris management in the larger context of a disaster. Health and safety issues are paramount when responding to an emergency and disaster; however environmental and economic issues are extremely important for the long-term recovery of our local, rural communities.
• Section 2: Potential Disaster Scenarios - This section discusses the type of disasters that have historically threatened the rural communities of Franklin County and the types of debris these disasters may generate. In addition this section attempts to measure the types and quantities of debris these disasters may generate.
• Section 3: Contracting for Services - This section explains procedures for contracting for labor and equipment which may be necessary depending on the magnitude of the disaster.
• Section 4: Local Resource Inventory - This section identifies the organizations, agencies and businesses that may be available to assist in disaster recovery efforts.
• Section 5: Local/Regional/State Issues - Local and regional issues such as existing policies, ordinances, regulations, contracts or franchise agreements may affect disaster debris management efforts. This section will identify any barriers that may exist in order to save valuable response and recovery time during and after a disaster.
• Section 6: Siting Criteria and Potential Debris Management Sites - After a disaster, it may be necessary to establish temporary sites for debris storage, processing and transfer. This section presents criteria to be considered for selecting these sites.
• Section 7: Education and Public Information - This section outlines the plan for developing a coordinated, regional education and public information program.
• Appendices

Future Plans

The second phase proposal for disaster debris management will be the creation of an Action Manual that will define "who does what" in the event of a disaster. This is particularly important for including debris management as a component of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). In addition, animals in disaster will be included in the second phase planning proposal. Disposal of animal carcasses is a difficult issue for emergency personnel who will be dedicated to saving the lives of animals in the event of a disaster. This is also a complex waste management issue with serious public health concerns.

Contact: Teri Koopman

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