In cases where the damage and debris are so extensive that it exceeds local and state capabilities, FEMA can assign the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a mission to provide debris management assistance in support of the National Response Framework.
There are no “typical” debris management missions – each one is a bit different. There are two types of mission assignments: a) Direct Federal Assistance and b) Federal Operations Support.
Direct Federal Assistance (DFA) missions may consist of one or more tasks, including, but not limited to:
Right of Way (ROW) Debris Removal – Removal, reduction and disposal of debris from the public right of way and other public property, such as parks and schools.- Emergency Clearance – A roadway clearance mission generally requires moving debris to the median or side of the ROW to allow for emergency traffic.
- Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) – Removal, reduction and disposal of debris from private property, when directed by FEMA.
- Demolition – Removal, reduction and disposal of residential or commercial structures.
- Debris Removal from Drainage Structures – Removal, reduction and disposal of debris from natural streams, reservoirs and engineered channels.
- Waterway/Wet Debris – Removal, reduction and disposal of debris from coastal waters where the debris impedes navigation or produces a hazard to safety.
- CDM - The Contaminated Debris Management (CDM) Mission results from a detonation that creates general construction debris, and the like, that is contaminated with a hazardous material or a chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear agent; Mission assignments could include Emergency Clearance, Structural Instability, Demolition, long-term debris removal and technical assistance.
- Dead Animal Carcasses – Removal of dead animals is considered debris (paragraph is within the ACI specifying dead animals as debris); location of the carcass determines the type of debris: on the road – right of way debris; on private property – PPDR; in the water – waterway debris
USACE Mission Capabilities – FOS or DFA Technical Assistance / Technical Monitoring Missions
- Assistance to local governments in developing debris removal contracts include estimating debris quantities, preparing scopes of work for debris removal and quality assurance oversight, and assistance with environmental issues.
- Assistance with training and coordination of FEMA and Local government debris monitors.
- Providing FEMA with oversight of State and/or local debris operations
Good-to-Knows
- Usually the largest Corps mission, funding, and personnel.
- Requires experienced/knowledgeable personnel to guide initial planning.
- Requires team effort: FEMA, USACE, ACI Contractor, other ESFs, and State/Local governments.
- Debris Clearance: Moving debris off roadway.
- Debris Removal: Load, haul, reduce, and dispose of debris.
- Disposal sites are key to scoping the mission.
- Units reported in cubic yard or tons. It is important to maintain debris volume records even if units are not contracted per cubic yard or ton (e.g., time and material, lump sum).
- Safety of the public, government personnel, military personnel, voluntary organization laborers, and contractors is kept a #1 priority to ensure no further losses incur as a result of debris clearance, removal and disposal operations.
- FEMA debris eligibility requirements can vary with each disaster.
Mission Contracting
Advance Contract Initiative. ACI Regional Contracts for Debris Management Services (RCDMS) are designed to address the need for emergency debris removal services in response to natural or man-made disasters and emergencies throughout the entire
Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside the Contiguous United States(OCONUS) for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories within Region 8 - POD. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not covered by the ACI-RCDMS contracts.
There are currently eight (8) Single Award Task Order Contracts (SATOCs) awarded for the eight (8) unrestricted regions identified in Table 1 below to allow for maximum coverage.
Technical Assistance – The Corps provides assistance to local governments in developing debris removal contracts and assisting with environmental issues, as well as training and coordination of FEMA and local government debris monitors.
Federal Operations Support – The Corps provides oversight for FEMA of state and local debris operations.
There are seven Debris Planning and Response Teams located in district offices in Baltimore, Ft. Worth, Louisville, Mobile, New Orleans, Portland and Sacramento.