EPA Publishes Resiliency and Natural Disaster Debris Report

Last week, EPA published a Report highlighting the importance of resiliency and effective planning for management of debris from natural disasters. Climate change and sea level rise have contributed to more natural disasters and as a result, the buildup of disaster debris. The Report highlights the takeaways from two 2021 virtual workshops, where experts various fields and levels of government identified steps the federal government and others can take to address gaps and drive innovation around disaster debris management and resilience.

The report touches on climate change and environmental justice issues and their impact on disaster debris, and some of these highlighted points include:

• Sea level rise, caused by climate change, is and will continue to necessitate removing buildings that have not yet been damaged. Policies and plans need to be updated to move, deconstruct, and recover these valuable building materials for rebuilding instead of demolition and landfill disposal.
• Affordable housing siting and design can reduce disaster debris.

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