Nearly 12 Million Cubic Yards Of Storm-Related Debris Removed From Streets And Properties Of Orleans Parish 

Less than 1 million cubic yards remain

Release Date: February 23, 2007
Release Number: 1603-603

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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- An unprecedented volume of debris created by hurricanes Katrina and Rita is being removed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The 11.9 million cubic yards of debris collected so far would fill two and a half Louisiana Superdomes.

FEMA along with USACE and its contractors has reached an important milestone. With less than 1 million cubic yards remaining, the curbside and private property debris removal program is 94 percent complete in Orleans Parish.

"Debris removal operations are progressing toward completion," said Michael Park, director of the USACE Louisiana Recovery Field Office. "Of an estimated 12.6 million cubic yards assigned to us by FEMA, we've removed 11.9 million. This is an incredible accomplishment of a strong federal, state and local partnership."

During peak operations in October 2005, the Corps' contractors were removing about 80,000 cubic yards per day.  Current collection figures for curbside and private property debris removal are averaging 10,000 cubic yards per day. A large percentage of the remaining volume will come from an estimated 4,700 houses remaining to be gutted.

"FEMA is committed to the continued recovery of the city of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. We are poised to provide the necessary resources to aid in the recovery of the area," said Eddie Williams, FEMA's debris and demolition group lead. "We are making great strides in the debris mission in Orleans Parish. The amount of debris removed there is more than what was removed from the entire Rita-affected areas."

FEMA, USACE and city sanitation officials are urging citizens to move all their storm-related debris to the curbside for pick up. If residents wish to dispose of their own debris, the city has provided two convenient, free drop-off sites:

The two drop-off sites will accept debris until March 2007, and the USACE will continue to pick up curbside debris until Aug. 29, 2007.

To expedite removal, residents should separate the debris into white goods, hazardous waste, electronics and construction debris. White goods include refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and appliances. Hazardous waste materials include paint and household chemicals; electronics include toaster ovens and televisions; and construction debris includes drywall, lumber and vegetative debris. If a contractor is hired by a homeowner to demolish their home, the contractor is required to properly dispose of the debris in a permitted landfill.

If a contractor is hired by a homeowner to demolish their home, the contractor is required to properly dispose of the debris in a permitted landfill. The Corps of Engineers will still remove debris resulting from private home gutting activities.

Debris removal from private property is an important part of this USACE mission assignment. Crews are working seven days a week accomplishing the monumental task of picking up debris throughout the city.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government buildings, roads and bridges, schools, water and sewer plants, recreational facilities owned by government agencies, some facilities owned by nonprofit agencies and other publicly owned facilities. FEMA can set aside money to bring each project back to its pre-disaster function and capacity, and the state distributes the money. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Friday, 23-Feb-2007 10:55:25