Storm Debris & Disposal Guidelines
Storm Debris Disposal Guidelines
| Debris Type | Recommended Handling | Other Options | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land Clearing Debris (general) |
Grind or chip on-site. Use as mulch/erosion control/bulking agent. |
Dispose on-site. | |
| Utility Poles | Reuse (reuse of utility poles treated with creosote is limited unless the DEC commissioner grants a waiver from the Creosote Phase-Out Law) |
MSW or C&D landfill | Creosote Lumber Pressure Treated With Chromated Copper Arsenate |
| Food Spoilage | Compost either on-site or at existing compost facility | MSW Landfill | |
| Dead Animals | Compost on-site or at an accessible location in the area | MSW Landfill | Natural Rendering (Leaving DEC's Website, PDF, 900 kB) |
| Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) | Store in a controlled area until a specialized contractor can be brought in to manage it | Emergency responders, such as the National Guard, may contract for HHW management | Household Hazardous Waste |
| Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALB) Debris | Chip ALB host trees to less than 1 inch in two dimensions. Use as mulch/erosion control/bulking agent within quarantine area. | Dispose on-site | NYS Asian Long-horned Beetle Guidance (Leaving DEC's Website) USDA Plant Health: Asian Long-horned Beetle Guidance (Leaving DEC's Website) USDA Asian Long-Horned Beetle Guidance (PDF, 7.84 mB) (Leaving DEC's Website. Note: this is a large file which may take a moment to download.) |
| Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Debris | Chip EAB host trees to less than 1 inch in two dimensions. Compost in accordance with USDA criteria. Use as mulch/erosion control/bulking agent within quarantine area or outside quarantine area with Ag&M approval. | Dispose on-site | EAB Regulations and Quarantines |
| White Goods and Automobiles | White goods (such as large appliances) and automobiles should be moved to a contracted area. | Recycled as scrap metal. | Appliances Vehicle Dismantling |
| Oil-Contaminated Debris Debris contaminated with : Virgin #2, #4, or #6 fuel oil, fuel oil tank bottom waste, diesel fuel, crude oil, and gasoline. |
Waste-to-Energy Facility (contact facility to determine acceptable wastes) |
MSW Landfill | Call Spills Hotline 1-800-457-7362 Chemical and Petroleum Spills Proper Management of Spill Residuals and Debris (PDF) (218 kB) |
The Department's Division of Materials Management recognizes the need for communities to perform efficient and timely cleanup of debris generated by natural disasters and/or major storm events. As a general policy, the Department recommends that when possible, construction and demolition (C&D) debris or other municipal solid wastes resulting from such events, be shipped from the point of origin directly to authorized transfer/processing or disposal facilities. If possible, those responsible for cleanup should first contact the Regional Materials Management Contact in the impacted Region for information on available solid waste management facilities in the immediate affected area. If local communication is not possible, the State Emergency Management Office at the State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) should be contacted for a list of these facilities which will be provided to them by the Department's Bureau of Permitting and Planning.
Where possible, the Department encourages the recycling and beneficial use of all solid wastes including solid wastes generated as a result of a natural disaster. In addition, proper attention to the types and appropriate separation of debris needs to be considered. Wastes which are considered exempt should be separated from those which are regulated. Final disposal costs can thus be greatly reduced while ensuring that all disaster-related solid wastes are properly managed. For instance, significant volumes of tree and limb debris can be chipped into mulch or donated as firewood to avoid expensive disposal costs and the related consumption of valuable landfill air space. As noted below, communities can effectively collect, store and process tree and limb debris within the impacted community without need for Department permitting. This, however, does not include the burning of tree and limb waste materials. Burning of debris requires special permits which may not be attainable in certain areas of the State due to concern for air quality and public safety.
In the event that solid wastes cannot be shipped directly from the point of origin to authorized transfer/processing or disposal facilities, there are several options available. Part 360 contains a number of regulatory exemptions for the management of land-clearing debris wastes (i.e., tree and limb generated as storm debris) as addressed above. Provisions also exist in Part 360 for the development of new registered facilities which can be used after major storm events for temporary storage of certain types of storm debris. Additionally, temporary storage operations can also be conducted under Emergency Authorizations or General Permits. Such authorizations have been used without known adverse impacts to the environment or public safety during each of the events which occurred in 1998. The discussions below provide specific guidance on all of the options discussed above.
1. Existing Disposal and Transfer/Processing Sites
Individuals are advised to check with the Regional Materials Management Contact located in the appropriate Regional Office for information on solid waste management facilities in the immediate area. Also, individuals should contact the disposal/handling facility regarding tipping fees and their ability/willingness to accept the waste in question. Some of the municipally-owned facilities may only accept wastes generated within their municipal boundaries.
2. Exemptions
The following are examples of exempt solid waste activities for which no permits are required:
Land Clearing Debris
Exempt Wood Processing Facilities
Facilities that receive and process (not dispose) only land-clearing debris are exempt from solid waste regulation [360-16.1(b)].
Solid Waste Cessation
The following items are not considered solid waste: unadulterated wood, wood chips, or bark from land-clearing operations, when these materials are placed in commerce for service as mulch, landscaping, animal bedding, erosion control, wood fuel production, and bulking agent at a compost facility [360-1.15(b)(3)]. This exemption does not apply to the disposal of such material.
Exempt Disposal Facilities
Landfills used for the disposal of trees, stumps, yard waste and wood chips generated from these materials are exempt when origin and disposal of such waste occur on properties under the same ownership or control. Disposal facilities collecting these materials from off-site sources are also exempt from permitting requirements provided that they operate only between the hours of sunrise and sunset, and no fee or other form of payment is required for the privilege of using the facility for disposal purposes [360-7.1(b)(1)(ii)]. This exemption does not apply to facilities located within Nassau or Suffolk County.
3. Individual Emergency Authorizations
For those activities which are not exempt, for example, temporary storage areas for construction and demolition (C&D) debris which is not generated on-site, authorization can be made on a site-specific basis by appropriate NYSDEC Regional staff. This can be done under the provisions of "Individual Emergency Authorizations" pursuant to the provisions of 6 NYCRR Part 621, section 621.12. These provisions allow temporary storage of storm debris for a limited duration only (maximum time is 60 days) until arrangements can be made for waste transportation to either treatment or final disposal facilities. Contact the appropriate Regional Permit Administrator for further assistance with such authorizations.
4. General Permits
General Permits for temporary Storage of storm debris are available from the Regional Office's Division of Environmental Permitting. This provision is typically employed when a State of Emergency or Disaster is declared by the either the Governor or President. On matters regarding issues relative to the need for emergency General Permits, you may contact the appropriate Regional Permit Administrators.
5. Registered Disposal Facilities
Part 360 also contains a streamlined registration process for landfills that only accept land-clearing debris for disposal and that are three acres or less in area, provided the facility is not located in Nassau or Suffolk County. The registration process, however, does specify that the registered landfill must be operated in compliance with all the applicable requirements [360-7.2]. The appropriate Regional Materials Management person should be contacted for guidance on the use of these provisions.
6. Special Concerns
With emergency events, the Department has established response guidance based upon recent experience for the following areas of concern:
Utility Pole/Treated Wood Reuse & Disposal - Utility poles, retaining walls and fencing made with treated wood, can all become damaged during storm events. All these materials have been treated with preservatives to increase their useful life, and must be managed properly during storm cleanup. Utility poles are often treated with creosote. Retaining walls may have been treated with creosote or other preservatives. Older wood fencing is typically treated with chromated copper arsenate, while more recently installed wood fencing is likely treated with one of a variety of other copper-based preservatives.
As of January 2008, New York State law prohibits creosote-treated lumber from being reused for other purposes such as landscaping or retaining walls. The only exception is railroads, or utility companies that maintain control or ownership of the materials. In that case the wood treated with creosote can be reused or stockpiled for re-use by those entities.
Wood treated with creosote from construction and demolition (C&D) activities can be disposed in a permitted municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill that accepts C&D debris, or at a permitted C&D debris landfill, or burned in a permitted municipal solid waste or hazardous waste combustion facility that is authorized to accept such material.
Treated wood should not be chipped into mulch or burned in fireplaces, stoves, outdoor wood-fired boilers or open fires.
Food Spoilage - Communities are encouraged to establish provisions for the disposal of food spoilage caused by sustained power outages. Food losses can be prevalent during times of prolonged power outages and the spoiled food can present an immediate threat to public health if provisions are not promptly made for its safe handling and disposal. Communities can establish special emergency procedures for the collection and/or drop off points for spoiled food waste in the event that power outages exceed an established duration. This would help minimize the impacts caused by the untimely removal of food wastes in areas of widespread damage.
Dead Animals - Emergency storm events can result in significant loss of livestock, pets and natural wildlife. Part 360 contains provisions and exemptions for the disposal of dead animals. Paragraph 360-1.7(b)(3) allows disposal areas for animal carcasses generated on a farm to be located within the property boundaries of that farm. Please contact the Department of Agriculture & Markets, Division of Animal Industry at 518-457-3502 for further regulation/guidance pertaining to disposal of dead farm animals on the property where they were raised or kept for farm purposes. Paragraph 360-1.7(b)(10) allows the disposal of road-killed animals within the right-of-way on local roads and State and County highways under the jurisdiction/ownership of government agencies.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Stations - Previous storm events have revealed the need to alert debris removal crews on the need for proper separation of Household Hazardous Waste when removing extensively damaged structures. These debris removal crews often find themselves in situations where the content and nature of household/commercial or industrial wastes are unknown. Many households commonly contain numerous solvents, chemicals, paints, heavy metals, pesticides, compressed gases and petroleum products that are hazardous to human health if not handled properly. Additionally, many commercial establishments or local industries contain similar hazardous materials which raise concern if not properly handled upon discovery.
Proper precautions should be identified and implemented whereby cleanup crews can establish a controlled area to temporarily store household hazardous waste until a specialized contractor could be brought in to deal with the material. Many communities may have access to such contractors from conducting household hazardous waste cleanup days. In certain instances, organizations such as the National Guard are sometimes called in on debris cleanup detail and may have lists of contractors and funding abilities for such services. Household Hazardous Waste Facilities have been established for the collection and storage of Household Hazardous Waste. Any questions on determining if waste is hazardous should be directed to this Department at (518) 402-9543.
Asian Long-horned Beetle infestation - There are several areas in New York City and Long Island that are designated by the Department of Agriculture and Markets as emergency quarantine areas, pursuant to Section 139.2 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of New York State. Recent storm events resulted in disposal issues for trees and debris from areas under quarantine for Asian Long-horned Beetle infestation. All businesses, municipalities or individuals working inside the quarantine areas are required to be under a compliance agreement with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for the proper handling and disposition of host material. Under the terms of the quarantine, there are also regulated articles within the quarantined area that require special handling. Regulated articles include all life stages of the Asian Long-horned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and host material living, dead, cut or fallen, inclusive of nursery stock, logs, green lumber, firewood, stumps, roots, branches and debris of one-half inch or more of certain genera.
Under compliance agreements for the movement of host trees or debris generated from tree trimming, removals, disposal or sales, it is mandatory for all businesses, municipalities or individuals to have crew leaders and/or supervisors attend an Asian Long-horned Beetle Training Workshop. Regulated materials are to be cut, chipped, and/or incinerated and removed in accordance with approved disposal procedures and practices identified by federal and state officials.
For more information about the program, you should contact the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets' Division of Plant Industry at (518) 457-2087.
Please see the Links leaving DEC's website in the right column for ALB maps and regulations
Emerald Ash Borer Quarantines - State quarantines are in place encompassing the majority of western New York, as well as Greene, Orange and Ulster Counties that restrict the movement of ash trees, ash products and firewood from all wood species in order to limit the potential introduction of emerald ash borer (EAB) to other areas of the state.
These quarantines restrict the intrastate movement of certain "regulated articles." The order specifically defines regulated articles as:
- Entire ash trees of any size, inclusive of nursery stock
- Any part of ash trees, including leaves, bark, stumps, limbs, branches, and roots
- Ash lumber or ash logs of any length
- Any item made from or containing ash wood
- Any article, product or means of conveyance determined by APHIS, NYSDAM or the Department to present a risk of spreading the EAB infestation
- Firewood from any tree species
- Wood chips and bark mulch from any tree species, larger than 1 inch in two dimensions, whether composted or uncomposted
New York's order prohibits the movement of regulated articles beyond the quarantined counties without certification or compliance agreements issued by NYS DAM or USDA APHIS. The state order also restricts the movement of the regulated wood products into or through the quarantine district by requiring several provisions including, but not limited to documentation listing the origin and destination of shipments, and prohibiting transporters from unnecessarily stopping while traveling through the quarantine district.
View the EAB quarantine map.
View the EAB Regulations & Quarantines web page.
Equipment that has rusted or deteriorating surfaces, or if it includes flood-damaged wood/particle board or plastic laminate components should be discarded. Nonworking refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners will need to have Freon removed by a certified technician prior to recycling. Most large appliances, particularly if they contain at least some metal, can be recycled as scrap metal once the Freon is removed.
Vehicles with minor flood or fire damage may be repairable, but as with restoring other personal belongings, time is a factor. Water damage can become irreparable in a short period. Contact your insurance company to have the vehicle examined by a professional. Both fire and water can damage electrical and mechanical systems. Sewage, sand, and other debris can harm the engine. Do not attempt to start the car until it has been examined-have the vehicle towed. Mold growth in the interior is probable in flood damaged vehicles; carpet and padding must be removed and cleaned.
Most metal scrap yards or junk auto dealers will haul nonsalvageable vehicles for recycling. Consult the telephone directory under "automobile wrecking and salvage" or "scrap metal."
Oil-contaminated debris or material contaminated with other petroleum products should be segregated from other types of debris prior to disposal, and should be stored in a well-ventilated area. If stored outdoors, piles should be covered to keep precipitation from contaminating soil or water. Some oil-contaminated debris generated by households may be acceptable at a municipal waste combustor. Contact the specific facility to determine if your debris can be accepted. If not, oil-contaminated debris can be disposed of in a municipal solid waste landfill.
To further assist you on general solid waste issues, staff in the Bureau of Permitting and Planning may be reached at (518) 402-8678.
