11-8-12 PDX NIMO Daily Report

Debris Removal Task Force

1400 Wednesday November 8, 2012

Debris Removal Task Force 1500 Debris Removal meeting was held Wednesday, Nov 7, 2012.  Meeting was well attended (approximately 30 personnel) from multiple agency representatives including US Army Corp of Engineers, US Navy, FEMA, US Coast Guard, NY City Office of Emergency Management, NY State Department of Emergency Management, NY City Mayor's Office, NY City DOT, DOD, NY Parks, NYSDEC, EPA, BIC, ECC and NY City Sanitation Department.

The meeting focused on three primary topics: needs, accomplishments and future operations. 

OBJECTIVES:

1.      Ensure public health and safety by removing debris from public rights of ways and from temporary waste storage areas.

2.      Coordinate with agencies involved to ensure common priority setting and effective utilization of responders and equipment.

3.      Maintain effectiveness of operations and assess need to adjust as transition to US Army Corp of Engineers evolves.

4.      Track and communicate Task Force accomplishments. 

5.      Manage transition to US Army Corps of Engineers operations for large scale debris removal operations.

ISSUES:

1.      DSNY collection work continues full bore.

·         Army Corps of Engineers did not take over at 0700 this morning. Handoff may take a more phased in approach rather than being date/time specific.

·         Assets continue to be sought and are arriving.

Progress:

   i.            DSNY had 434 salt spreaders for the winter storm,46 front end loaders, 2300 people and 247 pieces of hired equipment working Wednesday

 ii.            200 National Guard are working in Rockaway

 iii.            ACE estimates the total amount of debris from Sandy, in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, will be about 3,600,000 cubic yards. (This is apart from the normal debris stream in NYC)

 iv.            Estimate: 86,000 tons (190,000 to 200,000 cubic yards) of storm debris and 21,000 tons (40,000 cubic yards) of wood debris has already been moved.

   v.            $1.5 million of possible $12 million has been used from the DSNY Hired Equipment Contract.

vi.            Navy has been outstanding: 30 long haulers & barges at Fresh Kills, 35 roll-on roll-off trucks and 350 containers, and covering disposal when local capacity is exceeded.

2.      Additional work expected due to storm

·         1400 reports of downed trees before most people are awake

·         Expect that number to exceed 2000 Thursday

·         This might impact debris removal work.

3.      Temporary Storage Sites (TSS) are almost full

·         Riis Park still has room

·         Father Cap is the #1 priority and it is full

·         Fresh Kills 1 & 2 on Staten Island are, #2 priority, and they are at 85 to 90% capacity

·         Removal of right-of-way debris is important but the priority is getting TSS cleared first everywhere.

·         All locations will be treated equally.

4.      Content of debris is an ongoing concern

·         Needs to be segregated and managed for appropriate disposition

·         DSNY will ID areas that need debris assessment

·         USACE needs NYC personnel to tell them where debris assessment needs to be done and they will provide a proposal/plan.

·         Debris WILL be co-mingled as it comes in.  Look at the TSS on all areas.

·         The issue is who separates: the public at curbside, contractors at TSS, DSNY workers or at the landfill?

·         Household Hazmat needs to be separated

·         It's ok that its co-mingled now at TSS sites. It will not violate FEMA reimbursement which says it needs to be segregated.

·         One ECC takes over, they will segregate.

5.      State EMAC resources on the way. Checking status.

6.      The Navy is leaving Sunday.

7.      USACE mission with FEMA

·         Task Order #3 has been issued.

·         The mission is what FEMA says it is

·         USACE/ECC will execute until the money runs out

·         There is $3.9 million for 10 days of ECC removal operations.  The focus will be on Rockaway for those 10 days

·         We have verbal agreement for another $90 million.  We will see how far that goes.

·         NYC needs to tell us what the priorities are for work

·         The Corps Contacting Officer is the one who tells ECC what to do and that's done through the RFO.

·         What is "eligible" debris is fluid.  It will be determined in the field.

·         We will have a 72 hour plan everyday on HOW we will meet your priorities.  This will change every 24 hours.  We aim at complete transparency.

·         We need to talk about what success looks like.

8.      DOT needs to get back to normal operations

·         On highways sweeping, cleaning catch basins due to storm

·         Continuing this work Thursday

·         Primary duties have stopped to do Sandy work

·         Unable to resurface roads on schedule

Progress:

 i.            74 dump or trailer trucks working Thursday. 55 working last night.

9.      Transfer to ECC Field Command

·         Keeping NYC assets at TSS until ECC is ready. Will work side by side until transfer of command is complete.

·         Transfer Points of Contact to USACE and ECC

·         ECC and USACE will attend 0600 and 1800 planning meetings to stay in the loop at each of the 3 borough ICPs.

·         The limiting factor in the speed of the transfer is the 'Not To Exceed" on the NYC contracts. These contracts have a $1 million limit and a date specific deadline.

·         ECC is the contractor. Contract information on the assets currently in place/use. 4 contracts in place. Other contractors like Waste Management & Tullys are or will be knocking on the door.

FUTURE:

·         There will be an Interagency Planning meeting at 1500 each day, at the same location

·         NIMO team will continue to assist the Task Force in meeting objectives

·         Preparing for Transfer of Command to Army Corps of Engineers