Debris Removal Task Force
1400 Wednesday November 9, 2012
Debris Removal Task Force 1500 Debris Removal meeting was held Wednesday, Nov 8, 2012. Meeting was well attended (approximately 30 personnel) from multiple agency representatives including US Army Corp of Engineers, US Navy, FEMA, NY City Office of Emergency Management, NY State Office of Emergency Management, NY City Mayor's Office, NYCDOT, DOD, NYS Parks, NYSDEC, EPA, BIC, ECC and DSNY.
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. USACE mission with FEMA
· Only moved 500 cubic yards Thursday which was not much improvement
· Supposed to double equipment but have not.
· This needs to be the greenest recovery effort possible without sacrificing speed. Proposal went to ECC about Taylor company which can manage a project this size.
· Need to check into private companies for recycling
Progress:
i. 20 trucks came in Thursday, 65 more coming Monday to haul from Staten Island
ii. Following up on barges with Navy and Air Force on cranes
iii. 23 barges in from the Navy Thursday
2. DSNY collection work continues
· All DSNY people were reassigned to snow duties at 1900 Thursday
· Hazmat and asbestos monitoring is ongoing. EPA has setting up at 3 of the 6 TSS.
· ECC needs to take over dust control
· Need barges at Fresh Kills to take off some of the pressure.
· DSNY will maintain a presence until ECC is ready.
Progress:
i. Moved 17,500 tons of storm debris Thursday for a total of 102,000 tons and 602 loads of wood debris
ii. 158 long haul trucks at Father Cap, Fresh kills & Riis park on Thursday
iii. Adding 15 roll-on, roll-off's from the Navy to Father Cap
3. NY DOT and Parks were busy due to storm
· 3200 calls for damage. Expect final number will be closer to 5 - 6000
· Could use help so can get back to regular work
· Sand operation is ongoing with contractor in Rockaway. Sand work also needed in Coney Island
4. ECC & USACE reporting to Mayor's office
· Mayor's office has provided metrics to ECC on what they need in terms of numbers
· Mayor's rep believes what ECC produced normally will suffice
· Needs to be sure same info they have been getting they will still get.
· Cannot have new issues keep cropping up for Mayor's office. If there are issues we need to know them right now, get them out on the table.
5. Department of Environmental Protection is worried about the wastewater treatment plant in Rockaway.
· Additional concerns about hazmat.
· Propane tanks being found. Take to TSS
6. Community efforts to help with clean up could cause issues
· Big effort in Brooklyn to get 10,000 people into area to help this weekend
· Other similar efforts rumored in other areas
· Could cause issues with heavy equipment trying to work in the same area
7. PPDR still an issue
· Executive order from Mayor as first step to allow contractors and others to remove private property like cars and boats.
· Boat removal not worked out. It's more complicated.
Progress
The car removal is being worked out. May use current city processes to move vehicles.
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
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