U.S. Unified Command Extends Hurricane Environmental Response Into 2006

METAIRIE, Louisiana, January 5, 2006 (ENS) - A coordinated federal-state environmental response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will continue in 2006, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a year end statement.

The multi-agency effort, organized under the National Response Plan, includes the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Coast Guard.

"Our Coast Guard men and women, agency partners and countless other environmental response personnel, have done an extraordinary job under very difficult circumstances," said Capt. Frank Paskewich, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.

"Their passion and dedication to this cleanup effort is certainly recognized by many, and their commitment will carry them through the monumental task of clean up, restoration and future protection of the Gulf Coast environment," he said.

Unified Command agencies, along with their local, state and federal partners, have recovered about seven million pounds of hazardous material, disposed of eight million tons of debris and recovered four million gallons of oil.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Presidential natural disaster declaration, activated emergency environmental resources to address hazardous materials and oil spill issues. Operations are based at a closed Louisiana Technical College facility here.

Hurricane Katrina disaster victim Stella Keasley searches for anything salvageable from where her New Orleans home used to be and finds a pair of shoes. Many people lost everything when the levees broke and are homeless. (Photo by Marvin Nauman courtesy FEMA)

Deborah Dietrich, chair of EPA's National Response Team, says "even more post-hurricane work is needed in 2006" even in light of the "remarkable job" the responding agencies did last year.

"We have effectively managed the disposal of eight million of the 22 million tons of debris generated by the hurricanes," said Chuck Brown, LDEQ assistant secretary. "As we continue our cleanup efforts in 2006, our partners are committed to properly disposing of each waste stream in the most efficient and environmentally sound manner."

The Coast Guard and its agency partners responded to six major and three medium spills totaling about eight million gallons of oil, all resulting from storm damage to facilities.

Since then, the Coast Guard says it has recovered about four million gallons of oil, and the remaining oil was "naturally dispersed, evaporated or burned off in a process known as in-situ burning."

In addition, pollution investigation teams responded to more than 100 spill reports.

Residual oil cleanup efforts continue at two Bass Enterprises facilities - the Cox Bay facility at mile marker 35 on the Mississippi River; and the facility at mile marker 36 in Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana.

Cleanup is also ongoing at Sundown East in Potash, Louisiana.

Since September 2005, Unified Command staff and contractors have collected waste, performed facility inspections and/or conducted sampling in Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, Calcasieu, Cameron, Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion, Iberia, St. Mary, St. Martin, Assumption, St. James, St. Charles, Terrebonne, LaFourche, St. Tammany, Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes.

Since September 2005, Unified Command staff and contractors worked a total of 1.2 million work hours, the Coast Guard said in its year end statement.

Personnel collected:

• More than 1.3 million containerized hazardous materials (cleaners, pesticides, paints and batteries), resulting in waste disposal exceeding 6.6 million pounds.
• More than 230,000 damaged white goods (refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, water heaters, air conditioners, stoves, ovens, microwave ovens and dishwashers). Freon extracted from refrigerators and air conditioners was sent to local vendors for recycling.
• Nearly 43,000 damaged electronic goods (televisions, computers and audio equipment).

• More than 3,400 samples of water, soil and air collected.
• About 75 school inspections (both public and parochial).
• 1,500 emergency assessments of potential chemical releases.

A team of representatives from FEMA, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Debris removal in Pass Christian, Mississippi, devastated by Hurricane Katrina. December 21, 2005. (Photo Mark Wolfe courtesy FEMA)

The team is 90 percent finished with its survey of Hancock County and identified 79 eligible sites for debris removal. Evaluation in Harrison and Jackson counties is 50 percent complete and so far 34 eligible sites have been found.

The purpose of this operation is to remove waterway hazards that have the potential to become health and safety risks to the public. FEMA has engaged the Coast Guard to carry out this mission under the direction of the MDMR.

Debris will be taken to a staging site for reduction and recycling.

Recoverable vessels removed by the Coast Guard will be transferred to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for final disposition. Authorities will process the vessel as an abandoned vehicle and attempt to reunite the owner through license and registration with their vessel. Owners who want to retrieve their vessels will be responsible for the customary costs involved in this process.

MDMR estimates there are between 1.5 to 2 million cubic yards of debris within the Mississippi Sound and contiguous coastal waterways. The team expects to complete the evaluation of all targets by February 14.

The Coast Guard’s mission to remove waterway debris is 100 percent federally-funded through direct federal assistance from FEMA through March 15, 2006. Debris removal will begin as soon as the Coast Guard has secured contractors.

Federal and state aid to Mississippians affected by Hurricane Katrina throughout Mississippi has surpassed $1 billion, according to a year end statement by FEMA and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

More than 450,000 individuals and families have shared the $1 billion in FEMA assistance, the agencies said.

This figure includes costs for emergency assistance as well as financial assistance to homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained storm damages.

Nick Russo, FEMA's federal coordinating officer in Mississippi, said, "Although there is still a lot of work to be done, we feel this is a definite milestone for the state of Mississippi.""We are continuing to work closely with our federal partners to meet the immediate and long-term needs of affected residents."

More than 29,000 trailers and motor homes have been made available and are sheltering some 79,000 Mississippians.

Through FEMA's Operation Blue Roof program, at least 49,000 temporary roofs have been installed in three months. Operation Blue Roof allows residents to return to their homes and greatly reduces the need for more expensive temporary housing.

This home in Port Sulpher, Louisiana damaged by Hurricane Katrina is being removed under a FEMA program. (Photo by Marvin Nauman courtesy FEMA)

To date, FEMA has received more than 512,000 applications in Mississippi and another two million applications from Alabama, Louisiana and Texas victims from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The deadline for individuals and households to file a new application for Individual Assistance through FEMA has been extended by 60 days to March 11, 2006.

"Those who sustained losses or damages from either hurricane should not assume that they are ineligible for assistance and should call and register to learn what type of assistance they might be eligible to receive," said Robert Latham, Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Officials stressed that disaster assistance is not considered income and is not taxable. Disaster grants do not have to be paid back. Disaster loans are available through the Small Business Administration disaster loan program at low interest rates.

"We are renewing our efforts to identify and reach people who may not have registered for various reasons and need more time to apply," said Russo.

"We cannot overstate the amount of cooperation that is required as state, federal and voluntary agencies work toward recovery," said Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. "We all have the same goal: getting our residents the help they need to begin working toward a positive future for themselves and their families."

For more information about the combined response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, go to http://www.epa.gov/katrina/, http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/, or http://www.uscgstormwatch.com/go/site/1008/.

Contact the National Response Center at: 800-424-8802 to report any oil or chemical spills.