Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues Page: 1 of 39
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AGAO
Accountability * Integrity * Reliability
United States Government Accountability Office
Washington, DC 20548
August 25, 2008
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
Chairman
The Honorable James M. Inhofe
Ranking Member
Committee on Environment and Public Works
United States Senate
The Honorable James L. Oberstar
Chairman
The Honorable John L. Mica
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
House of Representatives
Subject: Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues
In 2005, as a result of Hurricane Katrina, more than 1,600 people lost their lives and
more than a million were driven from their homes on the Gulf Coast. Tens of
thousands of homes in New Orleans were flooded, many requiring either demolition
or gutting before reconstruction. Nearly 3 years later, the New Orleans area still
faces significant debris management issues and challenges. For example, the
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) stated that while the
Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) estimated in July 2008 that it had funded about 16,900 home demolitions, an
estimated 6,100 homes remained to be demolished around the New Orleans area.
Further, it is estimated that when the demolition and renovation of damaged property
in the New Orleans area resulting from Hurricane Katrina are completed, more than
100 million cubic yards of disaster debris will have been generated.' This is more
than twice the amount of disaster-related debris generated in 1992 by Hurricane
Andrew-the event that prior to Hurricane Katrina had resulted in the greatest
recorded amount of disaster-related debris in U.S. history.
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act)
establishes programs and processes for the federal government to provide major
disaster and emergency assistance to states, local governments, tribal nations, and
'Congressional Research Service, Disaster Debris Removal After Hurricane Katrina: Status and
Associated Issues, RL33477 (Apr. 2, 2008).GAO-08-985R Hurricane Katrina Debris
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United States. Government Accountability Office. Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues, text, August 25, 2008; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc301540/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.