Hurricane Floyd Daily Response and Recovery Update
Department of Environment and Natural Resources • October 12, 1999 • 1600 hours
Current Situation:
CSC: For the period September 30, 1999 through October 12, 1999 (as of 10:00am), the CSC has received a total of about 160 hurricane related calls. The CSC has also received an average of 5-8 regular CSC calls/day. A correction from yesterday's Situation Report - Wednesday, October 6, 1999 was the single day with the highest number of calls with a total of about 40.
DAQ: Livestock burned in dumpster/pit burners (all numbers are approximate) - 400 cattle, 5800 hogs, 26,000 poultry, 75 miscellaneous ( dogs, cats, horses). DAQ has heard reports of up to 2,000,000 dead poultry and 50-100,000 dead swine. Only one site continues to burn carcasses, and this is very limited. All (3) of the Dept. of Agriculture burners have ceased operations. DAQ, with the assistance of EPA, performed some sampling at two of the sites during the burning. We also "monitored" how the burning was being performed by trying to give advice about the proper way to conduct the burning. It is estimated that there are approx. 1.2 million cubic feet of vegetative debris to be burned. Approx. 20-25% has been burned so far.
DCM: To date, DCM offices have received a total of about 2,00 telephone calls from people inquiring about CAMA permits needed in the wake of Hurricane Floyd. These calls include inquiries about a variety of post-hurricane activities under DCM's jurisdiction: rebuilding, sandbag placement and beach bulldozing.
DEH: The State Public Health Laboratory reports that samples of drinking water collected from surface water treatment plants have been analyzed. The Tarboro, Rocky Mount, and Goldsboro treatment plants were negative for pesticides. The Nash county plant had very low levels of chlordane from (1) sample. Trihalomethanes (THMs) were at moderate levels in each plant. While THMs are a long-term cause for concern, these levels were present in order to reduce immediate bacteriological concerns. At present DEH has documented that only 18 community water systems are not cleared. The State Public Health Lab also reports that 2959 (mostly private) drinking water samples have been run to date. 770 (26%) were positive for total coliform and 128 (4.3%) were positive for fecal coliform. Mosquito spraying has been done in much of the impacted areas. For up-to-date information, please see the DEH website.
DFR: Current situation for October 12, 1999 remains unchanged. No new data has been acquired, field operations continue as reported in previous reports. (1) Tarboro Local Staging Area closed out operations on Saturday, Oct. 9. (2) Kinston Local Staging Area will close out operations on Tuesday, Oct. 12
DLR: Report unchanged from 10/11/99
DMF: DMF will be delivering finfish, shrimp and crab tissue samples for testing to DWQ in Raleigh today. DMF assets are presently sufficient and will continue to monitor shellfish areas and collect tissue samples as necessary.
DPPEA: 1. Mobile Homes: Waiting to hear from DEM on the role they want to take in this effort. Expect to hear back from them this morning. Meeting scheduled for Monday (Oct. 11th) was not held. 2. Have contacted all debris tree collection sites and trying to find markets for the wood. 3. Continuing the HHW collection effort with DWM.
DPR: All parks, except Waynesborough, are open, some with limited facilities. Falls Lake current lake level is 259.72 (falling). Supt. Of State parks Tom Wells has written a policy for the FEMA guidelines regarding Public Safety Criteria For Debris Removal
DSW: Initial evaluation of animal waste lagoons possibly compromised by recent storms has been completed. DSW will continue to work with DWQ to monitor animal operations that require further follow-up. DSW continues to work with other state and local agencies to assist with repair of damaged structures and facilities. DSW will continue to work in cooperation with DWQ to monitor animal operations that require follow-up. Otherwise, operation review staff are returning to their normal duties of conducting operation reviews. DSW is also working in Wayne County to survey damaged Flood impoundments to be repaired and is working with the DFR to assess damages and implement repairs to their nursery operation in Goldsboro.
DWM: 1. Effective today, all new sites which are reviewed by the Section and which may potentially effect an historic site, or threatened and endangered species, must be reviewed by the State Historical Preservation Office and the Natural Heritage Program. 2. On 10/10/99, technical assistance was provided for composting storm-damaged tobacco in Nash County. On 10/11/99, a farm in Lenoir County was given temporary approval to compost flood-damaged tobacco from Knott's Warehouse in Kinston. On 10/11/99, DWM followed-up on a complaint about illegal dumping of flood-damaged tobacco at a site located south of Kinston. Some follow-up with the landowner will likely be necessary regarding the need to establish windrows and to turn them periodically. 3. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection programs are scheduled for October 23rd in Carteret and Lenoir Counties, and possibly Pitt and Edgecombe Counties on October 23rd also. Pender and Brunswick Counties have confirmed the date of October 30 for their collection events. 4. The Washington Regional Office has received some calls to report damage from non-commercial underground storage tanks (UST) (home heating oil USTs). They will be investigated this week. Raleigh Regional Office reports that 381 UST facilities have been contacted, 319 have provided information, 48 reporting flooding and 52 have been visited. 5. 197 Superfund sites are in the flood-related area. 6 have been flooded with known effects or releases. 29 other sites have been flooded with possible effects or releases. Superfund staff are in the process of contacting these sites to determine the extent of any releases of hazardous material to the environment. Assessments will be performed at any sites that have had a release or if the status of the site is unknown. A determination of any sampling to be performed will be made on a site by site basis. EPA Region IV Emergency Response and Removal Branch in cooperation with US Coast Guard and FEMA have responded to 93 incidents as of 10/08/99. 58 of those sites were determined to have no further action required. 4 of the sites have completed responses. 8 of the sites require follow-up work. 23 of the sites have on-going responses.
DWQ: Regional staff are continuing to do site visits at animal operations and municipal treatment plants. Currently no farms are flooded but saturated spray fields and minimal freeboard in the lagoons will continue to be a problem. There were no change to the number of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (10) still having serious operational problems as a result of the flooding. DWQ reports that 24 Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants have been flooded and that future reports will contain information about other plants that have been flooded or otherwise seriously damaged, but not yet identified.
DWR: No staff working of Floyd related activities.
Operational Priority:
Animal Operations
Dam Integrity
Drinking Water
Waste Disposal
Restrictions
Disposal methods
Inspections
Assessments
Re-permitting
Damaged high hazard dams
Animal waste lagoons
Lower water levels
Testing
System backups
Systems/plants operational
Temporary measures
Garbage collection
Site selection
Contingencies in place and executed
These priorities expected to remain during the next 72 hours
CSC: Volunteer staffing is currently adequate for volume of phone calls.
DAQ
DCM
DEH
DFR
DLR: Report unchanged from the 10/11/99 report
DMF
DPPEA: We will be focused on the HHW collection effort and mobile home recovery.
DPR
DSW: Continue with items described in Operational Status.
DWM
DWQ
DWR: No change.
Operational Status:
CSC: Two EPA employees will be helping to staff the CSC beginning October 12, 1999. They are arriving at RDU at 12 noon today. This morning at the DENR staff meeting, Edythe McKinney is reporting on the status of CSC specifically pertaining to our role as the DENR environmental hotline.
DAQ: We estimate that work-related time associated with the hurricane response is approximately 400 hours to date. There have been 20-25 staff involved in some aspect of the efforts by DAQ, and we continue to be involved with debris disposal and open burning issues on a daily basis.
DCM
DEH: The On-Site Wastewater Section has brought in a temporary employee to provide hands-on assistance to local health departments in the impacted areas. The temporary has extensive experience with large, complex on-site wastewater plants. His work will begin in Halifax County and be completed when each system has been fully assessed and cleared.
DFR: As requested by the NC Department of Agriculture, DFR will be transporting donated hay to assist Floyd impacted farmers in eastern NC.
DLR: Report unchanged from the 10/11/99 report.
DMF: Continue additional tissue sampling.
DPPEA: Have 1.5 staff on mobile homes, 4 on assignment to Customer Service Center, 2 on HHW and 2 in the Response Center.
DPR
DSW: Initial Assessments have been completed. DWQ is compiling and providing this information in their Situation Report. Survey of one impoundment in Wayne County has been completed. The survey of a second impoundment should be completed this week. A survey of the third impoundment is scheduled to begin this week; weather permitting. Survey of DFR's nursery in Goldsboro should be completed this week as well. Five people are working in the field directly on Hurricane Floyd-related items mentioned previously. That number will drop after this week as existing projects are completed. Operation Review Staff is returning to normal operations.
Return to Hurricane Floyd Page.