Debris Management Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association (LEPA) An LEM Basic Credentialing Course
Training Objectives • At the completion of this lesson you will be able to: – Explain public assistance debris eligibility. – Understand parish’s roles and responsibilities. – Develop debris forecasting models. – Advise on monitoring and contracting services. – Develop a debris management plan. – Develop a public information strategy. 2
Training References • Use FEMA Public Assistance Debris Management Guides • FEMA 325
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Public Assistance Eligibility • The Robert T. Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to assist local governments in disaster response for presidentially declared disasters. • Specifically, the program provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure. • Eligibility means qualifying for public assistance grants, which can be applied to the parish’s facilities, work, and costs. 4
Debris Grantee/Sub‐grantee • Grantee means the government, usually the state. • Sub‐grantee is the entity to which the sub‐grant is awarded. There are four types of sub‐grantees: – State government agencies. – Local governments (parish, city, town). – Private non‐profit organizations. • Educational, medical, utility, libraries, homeless shelters.
– Indian tribes 5
Sub‐Grantee Facility • A publically owned building, works, system, or equipment. • Land used for agricultural purposes is not eligible. • The facility must be located in the disaster area and must be the legal responsibility of the parish. 6
Sub‐Grantee Work • FEMA categorizes work as either temporary or permanent. Work is classified into seven categories using letters A through G. • This lesson only discusses emergency work: – Category A: Debris Removal. – Category B: Emergency Protective Measures.
• To be eligible, work must meet all of the following: – Be required as a result of the disaster. – Be located in the disaster area. – Be the legal responsibility of an eligible parish. 7
Public Interest Test • Eligible debris work must be competed in the public interest, which is defined as work to meet the following: – Eliminate immediate threats to life, health or safety. – Eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public property. – Ensure economic recovery of the affected community. – Mitigate the risk to life and property by removing substantially damaged structures.
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Environmental and Historic Preservation • State and local regulation, laws, and ordinances must be followed for all environmental and historic preservation issues. • Coordinate with LADEQ. The following are examples of laws that must be adhered to: – Clean Water Act. – Clean Air Act. – Endangered Species Act. – National Historic Preservation Act. 9
Salvage Value • Applicants may choose to recover and recycle materials from disaster debris. • Applicants may sell recycled material such as metal to the construction industry, or wood chips to energy companies. 10
Salvage Value • Applicants must offset the costs and report revenue to FEMA. • Applicants may allow contractors to take possession of recoverable debris. – This contract should take into account the salvage value and the applicant should negotiate a credit to reflect this value.
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Eligible Debris Removal Costs
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Parish Force Accounts • It is important for the parish staff to document hours worked and equipment used by category of work. This is called force account labor and equipment. • Applicant Resources: – Force Account Labor – Force Account Equipment – Force Account Documentation 13
Parish Force Accounts • The goal in Ascension Parish immediately following a hurricane is to have every road in the parish open by at least one lane within 24 hours to allow emergency response vehicle access. • It’s called “24 hour cut & push”. ROW’s are not cleared during this time. Only lanes are opened. • Force account labor and equipment is an authorized cost under FEMA Category A for this. 14
Parish Force Account Labor • For debris removal, only overtime (including benefits) is authorized for reimbursement. • Straight‐time is not authorized under FEMA Category A. • Straight‐time and over‐time is determined by the parish’s pre existing HR policy. FEMA will request a copy of the policy. 15
Parish Force Account Equipment • Reimbursement for force account equipment is limited to equipment actually in use. • Idle or standby time is not authorized. • Equipment must correlate to force account labor. Records must show an operator was on duty. • Equipment is reimbursed on an hourly rate. • FEMA schedule of equipment rates must be used. 16
FEMA Equipment Schedule
Add a column to identify parish equipment numbers.
Mutual Aid Agreements • Parish’s may have agreement with other jurisdictions. • Employees of the responding jurisdiction are considered extra hires or contract labor. • Both straight and overtime are eligible. • FEMA will reimburse mutual aid cost provided that: Assistance is requested by receiving parish. Work is directly related to disaster. The providing parish must bill the receiving parish. Work cannot be contingent upon disaster declaration by FEMA. – The requesting and providing parishes must provide rates and payment for services.
– – – –
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Debris Contract Services • Parish’s may hire contractors for monitoring, debris clearance, removal, disposal and recycling. • Contract must be limited to the scope of work necessary to remove debris that is an immediate threat to life, health and safety. • It is critical that the parish secure a contract with a reputable firm. The monitoring contract is most critical. 19
FEMA Contract Reimbursement • FEMA provides reimbursement for four types of contracts: – Lump Sum: Within a boundary and total price. – Unit Price: Item by item basis. – Cost Plus Fixed Fee: Lump sum or unit price with a contractor fee. – Time and Materials. Contractor bills parish for equipment, materials and overhead. Avoid these contracts. FEMA will only reimburse 70 hours of work. 20
Contract Matrix Example
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Contract Scope of Work • The contract scope of work should reference eligible work. • Work eligible under FEMA Public Assistance regulations, policies, and guidance. • Work performed on public property and/or public rights‐of‐way. 22
Piggyback Contracts • FEMA does not favor “piggyback contracts.” • Parish’s using piggyback contracts to have disaster‐related work performed by another jurisdiction’s contractor. • The variables associated generally make this an option to be avoided. • The competitive procurement requirements of 44 CFR Part 13 are also a prime concern. 23
Prohibited Contracts • In accordance with 44 CFR Part 13.36(f)(4), cost plus percentage of cost contracts shall not be used. • Use of such contracts may result in FEMA limiting the Public Assistance grant to an amount determined to be reasonable based on the eligible work performed. 24
Additional Contract Requirements • Contract payment provisions should address the obligations between parties to the contract only. • Contract must not include any language that makes payment to the contractor contingent upon the applicant’s receipt of funding from FEMA.
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Eligible Debris Removal • Eligible debris removal work under the Public Assistance Program must meet the following criteria: – The debris was generated by the major disaster event; – The debris is located within a designated disaster area on an eligible applicant’s improved property or rights‐of‐way; and – The debris removal is the legal responsibility of the applicant. 26
Ineligible Debris Removal • The following are not eligible for FEMA assistance under the Public Assistance Program: – Debris removal from unimproved property or undeveloped land; – Debris removal from a facility not eligible under the PA Program, such as a PNP cemetery or PNP golf course; or – Debris removal from Federal lands or facilities that are the authority of another Federal agency or department 27
Debris Clearance and Removal Operations • Debris removal operations generally occur in two phases: – (1) initial debris clearance activities necessary to eliminate life and safety threats; and – (2) debris removal activities as a means to recovery.
• The parish’s initial response phase of the debris operation may begin during the disaster event. 28
Debris Clearance and Removal Operations • Crews may be activated to clear debris on emergency access roads. • Usually this is vegetative debris that is cut and tossed to the rights‐of‐way. • The transition period from initial clearance activities to debris removal depends on the magnitude of disaster impact. 29
Debris Clearance and Removal Operations • Typically, the debris removal recovery phase begins after the emergency access routes are cleared and police, firefighters, and other first responders have the necessary access. • Often residents begin clearing disaster debris from their properties and placing it on the public rights‐of‐way. 30
Debris Clearance and Removal Operations • If the property owners move the disaster‐related debris to a public right‐of‐way, the parish may be reimbursed for debris pickup for a limited period of time. • If an applicant does not have the legal responsibility to maintain a right‐of‐way, then debris removal from that right‐of‐way is not eligible for reimbursement. 31
Field Eligibility Determinations • Only FEMA has the authority to make eligibility determinations for Public Assistance grant funding. • Contractors cannot make eligibility determinations. 32
Vegetative Debris Eligibility • Vegetative debris consists of whole trees, tree stumps, tree branches, tree trunks, and other leafy material. • Depending on the size of the debris, the collection of vegetative debris may require the use of flat bed trucks, dump trucks, and grapple loaders.
Custom built grapple truck.
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Vegetative Debris Eligibility • The Parish may limit the number of times the debris is collected. • The parish may choose to make two passes throughout the jurisdiction before resuming its normal collection activities. • The parish should discuss with FEMA the number of passes that may be eligible. 34
Vegetative Debris Eligibility • To minimize the use of landfill space, it is prudent to reduce the volume of vegetative debris before burying. • Vegetative debris may be reduced by as much as 75 percent of its volume by mulching or grinding. • Costs to reduce vegetative debris are eligible for Public Assistance grant funding . 35
Hazardous Trees (Leaners) • A tree is considered hazardous if its condition was caused by the disaster • It is an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety, or improved property; it has a diameter breast height of six inches or greater; and one or more of the following criteria are met: – It has more than 50 percent of the crown damaged or destroyed; – It has a split trunk or broken branches that expose the heartwood; – It has fallen or been uprooted within a public‐use area; and/or – It is leaning at an angle greater than 30 degrees. 36
Hazardous Limbs (Hangers) • Removing hanging limbs may be eligible for Public Assistance grant assistance. Limbs must be: – Located on improved public property; – Greater than two inches in diameter at the point of breakage; and – Still hanging in a tree and threatening a public‐use area, e.g. trails, sidewalks, golf cart paths.
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Construction and Demolition Debris
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Construction and Demolition Debris • Construction and demolition debris can be defined as damaged components of buildings and structures such: – Lumber, wood, and gypsum wallboard. – Glass, metal, roofing material, and tile. – Carpeting and floor coverings. – Pipe, concrete, and fully cured asphalt.
• To be eligible, construction and demolition debris must be a result of a Federally declared disaster. 39
Hazardous Waste
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Hazardous Waste • Hazardous waste is regulated under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. • A RCRA hazardous waste exhibits at least one of the following four characteristics: – – – –
Ignitability. Corrosivity. Reactivity. Toxicity.
• Certified hazardous waste technicians should handle, capture, recycle, reuse, and dispose of hazardous waste. 41
Hazardous Waste LADEQ LOSCO LSP HAZMAT
Work with your GOHSEP Regional Coordinator. 42
Electronic Waste • Refers to electronics that contain hazardous materials such as cathode ray tubes. • Examples include computer monitors and televisions.
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White Goods
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White Goods • White goods are defined as discarded household appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, ovens, ranges, washing machines, clothes dryers, and water heaters. • Many white goods contain ozone‐depleting refrigerants, mercury, or compressor oils. 45
White Goods • The Clean Air Act prohibits the release of refrigerants into the atmosphere, and requires that certified technicians extract refrigerants from white goods before they are disposed of or recycled.
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White Goods
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Vehicles and Vessels
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Vehicles and Vessels • For the removal of vehicles and vessels to be eligible, the parish must demonstrate that: – The vehicle or vessel presents a hazard or immediate threat that blocks ingress/egress in a public‐use area; – The vehicle or vessel is abandoned, e.g. the vehicle or vessel is not on the owner’s property and ownership is undetermined; – The applicant followed local ordinances and State law by securing ownership; and – The applicant verified chain of custody, transport, and disposal of the vehicle or vessel. 49
Putrescent Debris • Putrescent debris is any debris that will decompose or rot, such as animal carcasses or food. • The cost collection and disposal may be eligible. • Must be in compliance with Federal, State, and local requirements to be eligible for funding. 50
Putrescent Debris
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Putrescent Debris
Garbage • Garbage is waste that is regularly picked up by an applicant. • Common examples of garbage are food, packaging, plastics, and papers. • • Garbage can be collected through normal waste collection and are not eligible. 53
Private Property Debris Removal
Private Property Debris Removal • Private property debris removal (PPDR) is generally not eligible for reimbursement. • Debris on private property does not typically present an immediate health and safety threat to the general public. • If private property owners move disaster‐generated debris to the public right‐of‐way, the costs associated with removing this debris may be eligible. 55
Demolition of Private Structures • Parish may need to enter private property to demolish private structures made unsafe by disasters to eliminate immediate threats to life, public health, and safety. • FEMA will consider alternative measures to eliminate threats to life, public health, and safety, including fencing off unsafe structures and restricting access 56
Debris Forecasting
Hurricane Debris Estimating Model Q = H (C) (V) (B) (S) H = Population / 3 persons per household. C = Hurricane Category Factor. V = Vegetation Density Multiplier. B = Commercial Building Density. S = Precipitation Factor. 58
Hurricane Debris Estimating Model Q = H (C) (V) (B) (S)
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Residential Buildings •
A formula for estimating the debris quantities from a demolished single‐ family home and associated debris is: – L’ x W’ x S x 0.20 x VCM =___ cubic yards of debris (cy) – Where: L = length of building in feet W = width of building in feet S = height of building expressed in stories VCM = Vegetative Cover Multiplier
Light (1.1 multiplier) includes new home developments where more ground is visible than trees. These areas will have sparse canopy cover. • Medium (1.3 multiplier) generally has a uniform pattern of open space and tree canopy cover. This is the most common description for vegetative cover. • Heavy (1.5 multiplier) is found in mature neighborhoods and woodlots where the ground or houses cannot be seen due to the tree canopy cover. •
This formula can be used for tornado damage. 60
Residential Buildings
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Personal Property Debris
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Personal Property Debris • The amount of personal property within an average flooded single‐family home has been found to be: – 25‐30 cy for homes without a basement – 45‐50 cy for homes with a basement
• Mobile homes have less wasted space and are usually totally destroyed. – 290 cy of debris for a single‐wide mobile home – 415 cy of debris for a double‐wide mobile home 63
Vegetation Forecasting • Vegetation is the most difficult to estimate due to the random sizes and shapes of trees and shrubbery. USACE has established a few rules of thumb in forecasting and estimating vegetative debris. – Treat debris piles as a cube, not a cone, when estimating – 15 trees, 8 inches in diameter = 40 cy (average) – One acre of debris, 3.33 yards high = 16,117 cy 64
Volume – Weight Conversion • These factors to convert woody debris from cubic yards to tons are considered reasonable and were developed by USACE: – Softwoods – Hardwoods – Mixed debris – C&D
6 cubic yards = 1 ton 4 cubic yards = 1 ton 4 cubic yards = 1 ton 2 cubic yards = 1 ton
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Debris Site Requirements • 1 Acre (ac) = 4,840 Square Yards (sy) • 10 foot debris stack height = 3.33 yards • Total Volume per acre = 4,800 sy/ac x 3.33 = 16,117 cubic yards per acre. • From previous example: – 7,000,000 / 16,117 cy/ac = 434 acres
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Debris Site Requirements TDSR Sites must be approved by Louisiana DEQ.
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Debris Site Requirements • Ensure that at least one TDSR has citizen access.
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Monitoring Debris Removal Operations
Monitoring Debris Removal Operations • Parishes are required to monitor debris removal operations to document eligible quantities and reasonable expenses. • Failure to do so properly may jeopardize funding. • Debris monitoring is primarily the responsibility of the applicant. • Applicants may use force account resources, temporary hires, and/or contractors to accomplish the monitoring.
Monitoring Debris Removal Operations • If a monitor is hired the applicant is required to ensure monitor performs satisfactorily. • The contract must be awarded to monitor who has no vested interest in the debris removal contract or contractor. • Monitoring contracts are typically time‐and‐materials and should contain a not‐to‐ exceed clause
Monitoring Debris Removal Operations • Applicants should require debris monitors to submit the following reports: – Debris collected from curbside and/or collection centers – Debris accepted at the DMS and/or final disposition – Debris recycled/reduced at the DMS and taken to final disposition – Any operational or safety issues
Monitoring Debris Removal Operations • The debris monitor’s roles and responsibilities in the field include: – Measure and certify truck capacities (recertify on a regular basis). – Complete and physically control load tickets (in monitoring towers and the field). – Validate hazardous trees, including hangers, leaners, and stumps (use appropriate documentation forms). – Ensure that trucks are accurately credited for their load. – Ensure that trucks are not artificially loaded to maximize reimbursement (e.g., debris is wetted, debris is fluffed ‐ not compacted). – Report to project manager if completion schedules are not on target. – Ensure that only debris specified in the scope of work is collected and identify work as potentially eligible or ineligible. – Monitor site development and restoration of the DMS. – Ensure daily loads meet permit requirements. – Ensure that work stops immediately in an area where human remains or potential archeological deposits are discovered.
Monitoring Debris Removal Operations Selecting a reputable debris removal monitoring company is one of the most critical elements in the debris removal process!
Debris Management Planning Concepts
Debris Management Planning Concepts • Debris removal operations can be time‐ consuming and costly. • Over the last five years, debris removal operations accounted for approximately 27 percent of the disaster recovery costs. • Developing a debris management plan that considers large‐scale debris removal and disposal operations is critical to success.
Applicant Roles and Responsibilities • A sample outline for a debris management plan can be found in FEMA 325, Appendix A, Debris Management Plan Outline. • During a disaster event, the same staff members would be expected to implement the plan. • The organization of departments and management staff may vary between applicants, but roles and tasks do not change.
Debris Planning
Debris Management Staff Responsibilities • Each department is responsible for specific elements of the debris management plan. • Department responsibilities often overlap, making coordination and communication critical. • These overlapping responsibilities illustrate the need for one primary coordinator or Debris Project Manager.
Debris Management Staff Responsibilities • Debris Project Manager: – Is the primary decision maker. – Should be knowledgeable of debris process. – Coordination is a priority. – Assigns tasks. – Tracks completion.
Debris Management Staff Responsibilities • Parish Administration: – Personnel policies. – Labor and equipment timesheets. – Safety procedures. – Contract procurement. – Billing and invoices. – Public information.
Debris Management Staff Responsibilities • Engineering and planning: – Forecast debris volume. – Map debris haul routes. – Select debris management sites. – Assess available land fill space. – Develop collection strategy.
Debris Management Staff Responsibilities • Public Information Officer: – Debris pickup schedules. – Disposal methods. – Disposal procedures for self help. – Restriction and penalties for illegal dumping. – Curbside segregation. – Public drop off locations. – Process for answering the publics questions.
Course Summary Q: Name the basic references for FEMA Public Assistance Debris removal. A: 44 CFR, Robert T. Stafford Act, FEMA 325 Guide. Q: True or False: Under FEMA Category A and B straight time is an authorized reimbursement for force account labor and equipment. A: False. Q: True or False: Under FEMA Category A and B reimbursement can be claimed for equipment standby time. A: False. Q: What type of debris removal contracts should be avoided? A: Time and Materials.
Course Summary Q: What type of debris removal contracts are prohibited? A: Cost plus percentage of costs. Q: True or False: A “leaner” is a tree that is leaning at an angle greater than 30 degrees. A: True. Q: True or False: A “hanger” is a tree limb that is hanging in a tree, threatening public use areas, and is greater than two inches at the point of breakage? A: True.
Course Summary Q: True or False: Garbage is an authorized reimbursement under FAMA Category A. A: False. Q: Should a TDSR contain a citizens debris drop off point? A: Yes. Q: Should the parish TDSR sites and debris removal plan be approved before the disaster? A: Yes. Q: What are the four most critical elements of debris removal? A: Planning, monitoring , contracting, and public information.
Questions?