Stone Harbor Developing Disaster Debris Management Plan

STONE HARBOR – According to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), “A key lesson learned from these events (past storms) is that immediate response to debris collection and disposal is essential to a community’s swift recovery from a disaster.”  

Across the state, municipalities are expected to develop and keep current a disaster debris management plan for categories of disasters. DEP says it maintains a website with a municipal tool kit to aid in the development of the plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also lists documents to guide municipalities seeking to develop such a plan.  

The message to municipalities is clear – get a plan developed and keep it updated. 

At its Feb. 21 meeting, Stone Harbor Borough Council heard from Public Works Director Manny Parada on the status of the borough plan. Parada indicated that the borough had a “decent plan” for disasters up to and including a level-three hurricane.  

“When we get to a level four or five, things get ugly,” Parada said.  

Parada reminded the council that any major storm was likely to impact communities up and down the county’s shoreline.  

“We all depend on the same landfill,” Parada added.  

A major disaster would produce so much debris that it would take the landfill “years to recover,” Parada said. 

The plan continues to be under development and will be presented to the council when it is completed.