Printer-Friendly

In support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tetra Tech provided emergency response services for environmental emergencies resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the subsequent flooding in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the surrounding area in 2005. During the early stages of response activities,Tetra Tech mobilized highly trained emergency responders with local knowledge of the New Orleans area to assist with search-and-recovery operations and to collect crucial information for pre-planning environmental assessment and response strategies. Continuing for several months, Tetra Tech deployed as many as 65 responders to the impacted states and had a reserved pool of about 150 responders on standby.

Activities performed by Tetra Tech responders included:

• Search-and-rescue operations support
• Setup and operation of a mobile command post and staffing of incident command posts
• Emergency response damage assessments and removal actions
• Environmental impact assessments
• Provision of specialized personnel to re-establish an air quality monitoring system throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area
• Assessment of operational status of treatment systems at affected Superfund remedial sites
• Surveys at hospitals, clinics, and oil field yards to verify that radioactive sources were secured and intact
• Surveys of water and wastewater treatment plants to verify status and any assess damage

In addition, one of the most challenging activities performed during the hurricane response involved the search for and recovery of orphaned containers, household hazardous wastes, and electronic wastes. The storm surge transported these types of waste from commercial, industrial, and residential areas and dispersed them over wide and often inaccessible areas, including sensitive wetland areas. Tetra Tech personnel coordinated with EPA on-scene coordinators and personnel from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Strike Force. Tetra Tech personnel accomplished these tasks using electronic data-gathering devices such as PDAs and our own FAST system to allow near real-time management of ongoing efforts at remote command centers and to enable rapid creation of high-quality maps. Overall, thousands of orphaned containers, hazardous materials debris, and electronic wastes were collected and properly disposed.