Managed Retreat�Is Waste Prevention

Maggie Clarke, Ph.D.

Maggie Clarke Environmental

National Recycling Coalition Congress 2021

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Status Quo – Very Wasteful

• Climate change is escalating faster than scientists have predicted Flood zones expanding
• More Buildings, contents, lives at risk over time

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• Tidal flooding, storm surge, apartment drownings

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• Real Estate Industry in charge – they have no limits

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• NYC is UPzoning in flood zones! (wrong direction!)

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• The cost of doing nothing will be huge and increase. Waste will increase.

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MaggieClarkeEnvironmental.com

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Disaster Debris Management Hierarchy

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�How do we prevent waste, save lives and property all at the same time?�

• The answer is Managed Retreat
• Don’t Build in Floodplains!
• Institute Floodplain Zoning
• Don’t Plan new developments
• Don’t Put in new infrastructure
• Do put in parks, wetlands, bioswales

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Managed Retreat

• Pay building owners to move
• One-time investment; saves $ over time
• No more rebuilding or disaster aid

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• Government Buyouts offered to all in flood plains before and after disasters

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• Precedents – whole towns moved out of Mississippi floodplain, Canadian Provinces require homeowners to move, Austin, TX

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• Waste Officials Must Become Involved in Land Use

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• FEMA must contribute to the solution
• Increase cost of flood insurance,
• Stop allowing rebuilding in 100 yr flood zones,
• Stop reimbursement of building and contents in flood zones
• Offer buyouts to anyone in 100 yr flood zone

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• Step 1: Create a plan to remove people and structures from harm’s way over time. (managed retreat)

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• Step 2: Create a plan to reuse, recycle and compost as much as possible. (Tomorrow’s session)l

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Achieving Disaster Debris Prevention

Other ways to reduce disaster debris

• Building Codes (requirements, incentives)
• Stronger materials, better clips for roofs
• Reusable, durable metal window shutters

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• Relocate mobile assets out of floodplains prior to floods (planes, trucks, cars)

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• FEMA should Stop rewarding municipalities for hasty disposal of mixed debris

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• FEMA should instead reward source separation, recycling, composting

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Precedents for Managed Retreat

• Numerous cities, states, provinces have recognized the need to reduce disaster debris and start managed retreat

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• Look at the many examples:�
• Precedents for Managed Retreat
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p_JMamz1zJj3DfLC1e3ZC_L-t5U_6I9OYqaBqAsRw94/editt5U_6I9OYqaBqAsRw94/edit

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Maggie Clarke, Ph.D.

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Chair, National Recycling Coalition

Disaster Debris Committee

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maggie@maggieclarke.com

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www.maggieclarkeenvironmental. com

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Join the NRC DD Committee

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