What not to do with all the flood debris?

When the  Edenville and Sanford dams failed  in the spring of 2020, it caused an immediate emergency for surrounding and downstream communities, but after the water receded, other problems were left for communities to deal with. One of those was "What should be done with all the debris?"

Even months after the flooding occurred communities have large piles of trees, brush and other vegetative debris, sometimes mixed with trash, to deal with. It is important to clean up this debris, not only because it is the right thing to do but it is also good for the environment as it limits the chance of contamination of the river or soils. For some communities, clean up can help with closure of the incident and with residents and business owners being able to move forward. As the Village of Sanford looked at what was left to deal with and wondered what to do, the idea of burning the wood debris was mentioned.

At this time, the Village contacted EGLE staff in the Bay City District Office to determine whether burning the debris would be a viable legal option. EGLE staff met with the Dolores Porte, Village of Sanford President to look at what debris was left and what could be done with all of it. In looking at the piles, EGLE staff observed not only wood, but also some trash. This is a concern as  Michigan's open burning rules  do not allow the burning of waste such as construction debris, plastics, metals, rubber and other materials.

There were several things to consider when looking at what the open burning rules may allow:

• Is this type of burning, by a municipality, allowed under the law?
• If allowed, is burning allowed in this area of the state under the law?
• If allowed, how can assurances be made that only legal materials would be burned?
• What impacts could potential smoke from these fire have on residents?

While wildfires raged out west and newspapers across the state tried to answer whether smoke from those fires were impacting air quality here in Michigan, the main question became, "Is burning even the best option?".

Burning like this releases many different pollutants into the air including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter (PM or soot) and other chemicals. Smoke from the burning of these large debris piles had the potential to cause health effects, such as headaches, reduced respiratory function and problems for people with existing asthma, heart or other lung conditions. EGLE staff felt there were better, more environmentally and public health friendly options out there, so they set out to see what they could help make happen.

While exploring options, staff realized talk of grinding the wood debris had been brought up previously, but had been put aside and the idea of burning was brought to the forefront. In the meantime, staff was reviewing rules related to open burning. A determination was made by EGLE that burning this debris was not legal. Once this determination was made, EGLE staff focused on solutions outside of burning and helped the village work with some local companies who manufacture grinding machines, Morbark from Winn, MI and Bandit Industries from Blanchard, MI. Even the name of the machine Morbark allowed the Village to use, Wood Hog, shows these machines are built for this kind of work. Additionally, Fisher Contracting, Co. (Fisher) from Midland, MI helped by loading the debris into the Wood Hog and reducing the piles.

With the village in support and the companies willing to conduct the grinding and help with community clean-up, work to get machines to the site commenced. Bandit had machines being dedicated to hurricane help at the start, but Morbark was able to send a unit to take care of the piles. As grinding was set to start, EGLE sent out asbestos inspectors to ensure asbestos containing materials were removed prior to grinding. Additionally, EGLE inspectors visited the sites and ensured trash was also removed from piles and disposed of properly.

When the grinder arrived one Friday in late summer, President Porte, said "It's awesome looking!" EGLE staff agreed and the grinder began to make short work of the piles.

At the beginning of the discussion, the community's wish to be rid of reminders of the flood, which were an eyesore and safety hazard and EGLE's mission to protect the environment and public health may not have quite aligned. In the end, the goals of both entities are being met with the help of other community partners. Morbark and Fisher both donated time, manpower and equipment to the clean up efforts. Through this cooperative work, the village will have debris piles removed and work on restoration ready to begin.

EGLE has helped prevent the release of pollutants to the atmosphere that would have been created by burning. No burning means less impacts to nearby residents. The success of this project is a testament to relationships and how EGLE values working with communities and industry to move toward common goals.