Responding to Natural Disasters: Disasters, Restoration, and Regulations

1. NEUAC National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition 2019 Annual Conference Utility Affordability Roundup Omni Fort Worth Hotel June 3-5, 2019

2. Responding to Natural Disaster When a Disaster Strikes NEUAC 2019 • Disasters, Restoration and Regulations • Don’t forget the Regulations, especially Asbestos

3. Responding to Natural Disaster When a Disaster Strikes

4. Disasters, Restoration and Regulations • Disaster = Restoration + (Renovation & Demolition) • Man-made Disasters • Fires • Pipe leaks • Water/Humidity • Natural Disasters • Tornados • Hurricanes • Floods • Earthquakes

5. MAN-MADE DISASTERS

6. Man-made Disasters: Fire 2011 - Apartment fire

7. Man-made Disasters: Fire Apartment Complex fire while under construction March 2017 KMBC News

8. Eagleton Courthouse – St. Louis, MO Federal Contract – General Services Administration • Massive water leak occurred on the 17th floor in 2011. Water was released all night. • Water came down through the floors. All 17 floors were damaged, including 7 federal courtrooms. • Terracon provided consulting advice and remediation oversight. • All work was performed under CIH supervision which included multiple visits to the site. • The building remained operation during the work. • All water damaged materials were removed. • Mold was abated under controlled conditions. • Major portion of the work lasted 3 months.

9. Man-made Disasters: St. Louis, MO (2011)leaking pipe, 17th floor of Eagleton Courthouse

10. Man-made Disasters: St. Louis, MO (2011)Leaking pipe damaged walls and ceilings of courtroom

11. NATURAL DISASTERS

12. Natural Disasters • Major Natural Disasters include: • Tornados • Hurricanes (storms surges and floods) • Floods • Earthquakes (tsunamis) • Landslides • Forest Fires

13. Tornados

14. Tornados • A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air connected to the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud • Tornados rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere (99% of the time) • Tornados have low pressure at their base • Can happen anywhere on earth but have not been documented on Antarctica • Tornados are generally localized. Most occur in thinly populated areas. • Often occur with little warning and can happen anywhere at anytime • May have wind speeds up to 300 MPH and be over 2 miles wide and travel a dozen miles

15. Natural disaster: Joplin, MO (2011)Tornado

16. Natural disaster: Joplin, MO (2011)Tornado

17. Natural disaster: Joplin, MO (2011)Tornado

18. Natural disaster: Joplin, MO (2011)Tornado

19. Hurricanes

20. Hurricanes • Hurricanes (cyclones), are characterized by a rapidly rotating storm system with a low pressure center (the eye) • Hurricanes are generally identified several days in advance of landfall but their path can be very unpredictable • Hurricanes are regional in nature, and can be over a 1000 miles in diameter and travel thousands of miles

21. Hurricane Ivan: Pensacola, FL (2004)

22. Hurricane Ivan: Pensacola, FL (2004)

23. Hurricane Ivan: Pensacola, FL (2004)

24. Hurricane Harvey: Houston, TX (2017) http://www.chron.com

25. Floods

26. Floods • A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry  • There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain or snowmelt, coastal storms and storm surge, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems •  Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods

27. Floods: Norfolk, VA (1933) Norfolk, VA 1933, result of a hurricane. Sergeant Memorial Collection

28. Floods: Cedar Rapids, IA (2008)

29. Floods: Cedar Rapids, IA (2008)

30. Floods: Hurricane Harvey – Houston, TX (2017) E&T Magazine

31. Earthquakes

32. Earthquakes • An earthquake is a shaking of the earth due to sudden release of energy creating seismic waves • Most often a result of rupturing existing geologic faults due to plate tectonics • Earthquakes can cause landslides, volcanic activities and tsunamis

33. Earthquake, 7.0 Magnitude: Haiti (2010) UN Photo/Logan Abassi United Nations Development Program

34. Earthquake, 7.8 Magnitude: San Francisco, CA (1906) Arnold Genthe – public domain, Library of Congress

35. Earthquake, 9.2 Magnitude: Indian Ocean, Thailand (2004) Resulted in devastating Tsunami. Photo: David Rydevik – public domain

36. Earthquake, 9.2 Magnitude: Indian Ocean, Thailand (2004) 280,000 people in 14 countries died. Some waves were 100 feet high. Sumatra, US Navy photo by Philip A. McDaniel

37. Landslides http://www.weatherwizkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/landslide2-300x194.jpg

38. Landslides • Gravity is the primary force • Causes: • Slope failure (goes from stable to unstable) • Saturation • Wildfires (loss of vegetation) • Earthquakes • Volcanic eruptions

39. Landslide: Shenzhen, China (2015) 73 people were killed. Photo from Eastbound 88

40. Landslide: Shenzhen, China (2015) Most of the landslide went through an Industrial park. Photo from BBC

41. Landslide: Shenzhen, China (2015) 2.78 million cubic meters of waste soil was removed. Photo from Guangdong News

42. Restoration and the Regulations • Disasters require reactions by property owners • Initial response is to “clean up the mess” • If response is large, restoration or demolition contractors are usually hired • Response usually includes: • Removal of damaged goods, furniture, personal belongings • Removal of carpets, floorings, drywall and ceilings • Time is important • Governmental asbestos regulations

43. Restoration and the Regulations • There are multiple asbestos regulations that can affect contractors doing restoration • Federal regulations • EPA AHERA – inspections • EPA NESHAPs – demolition/renovations • OSHA – worker protection • State regulations • Varies by state • Contractors and consultants are required to be licensed for asbestos work • Federal and state accreditations and licenses

44. State Regulations • States either have their own state law as stringent as NESHAP, adopt NESHAP or allow federal NESHAP regulators to enforce law • States with their own regulations can have many complex variables • Many states extend the asbestos regulations much further than NESHAP • May regulate in residences or as little as 3 lf/sf or all asbestos regardless of quantity

45. Additional Concerns • Lead Paint • Mold • Bacterial Contamination/Category 3 water • Silica/Dusts • Toxins: PCBs, Mercury, Chemicals • Radioactive Materials

46. Lead • Lead in Paint is the primary lead concern • Especially hazardous when reduced to dust • Found primarily in pre-1980 housing • Children under 6 most vulnerable • OSHA exposure concerns for workers doing demolition and restoration • Most lead laws focus on worker protection and children. Federal and state laws

47. Mold • Very few mold laws, basically at the state level • Mold becomes a common hazard after large moisture events involving floods, hurricanes, extreme rain • Primary focus on protecting restoration workers, vulnerable populations, future occupants

48. Mold • Mold needs moisture and food source • Extreme weather supplies moisture • Paper products provide great food source (think drywall paper) • Mold can begin growing within days of getting wet • Quick drying may prevent mold growth

49. Bacteria and Contaminated Water • Flood waters can be contaminated by local sources such as water treatment plants, chemical plants, industrial settings, refineries. • Testing of water in Houston after Harvey found unsafe levels of fecal matter, lead, arsenic and heavy metals • Houston medical facilities had an increase in skin infections soon after flooding by Harvey

50. Silica and Dusts • Biggest concern for dusts, including silica is during the renovation, restoration and demolition processes that follow disasters • Workers need to be protected from all types of dusts such as asbestos, silica and heavy metals. • Inhalation is the primary concern • OSHA worker protection standards apply