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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

  • Tidal flooding, storm surge, apartment drownings

  • Real Estate Industry in charge – they have no limits

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

  • 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

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

  • 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

  • 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

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

  • 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

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Other ways to reduce disaster debris

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

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

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

  • 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

  • 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.

Chair, National Recycling Coalition

Disaster Debris Committee

maggie@maggieclarke.com

www.maggieclarkeenvironmental. com

Join the NRC DD Committee

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