Hurricane Season
2006
Doing
Reconstruction
Right

By Marylee Orr and Casi Calloway

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it is critically important we learn from prior mistakes. We must cleanup and rebuild in a manner that demonstrates care for the environment, for the health and safety of clean-up workers and the long-term safety of the residents of devastated areas.

Waterkeeper Alliance and our Gulf of Mexico Waterkeeper programs are taking steps to prepare for future hurricanes, and prevent future recurrence of the devastation and disarray of the 2005 hurricane season. We cannot stop hurricanes, but we can learn to live with them. Waterkeeper has identified steps that we must take to get ready for the 2006 hurricane season, and beyond.

Preparing
• We must anticipate the magnitude of inevitable storms and build our water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure to survive these storms and protect human health.
• We must strengthen permitting standards along the coast to require that all facilities – industrial facilities in particular – are built to withstand hurricanes without releasing oil and other toxic chemicals.
• We must minimize the threat and damage by moving tankers and securing toxic chemicals.
• We must establish county/parish emergency management plans that include measures for collecting and disposing contaminated debris and household hazardous waste.
• We must educate citizens to the potential dangers in their communities resulting from spills, leaks and discharges.
Reacting
• We must train public officials and citizens and ensure that they are qualified to respond to environmental disasters.
• We must strengthen measures to protect public health during a crisis by providing timely information on chemical and sewage spills, and evacuate when necessary to protect public health.
• We must monitor air and water quality in cleanup and reconstruction zones to protect reconstruction works and returning inhabitants.

Reacting
•We must train public officials and citizens and ensure that they are qualified to respond to environmental disasters.
•We must strengthen measures to protect public health during a crisis by providing timely information on chemical and sewage spills, and evacuate when necessary to protect public health.
•We must monitor air and water quality in cleanup and reconstruction zones to protect reconstruction works and returning inhabitants.

Rebuilding
• Urban areas must be redesigned to make them livable, attractive and vibrant places for citizens of all races and economic levels.
• Reconstruction must strengthen the region’s natural defenses against storm surges and hurricanes – wetlands and barrier islands.
• Critical infrastructure must be moved out of floodplains and other low-lying areas.
• We must strengthen stormwater retention plans throughout rebuilt areas.
• We must prevent floodplain development and strengthen building codes and standards to ensure maximum protection from future hurricanes.
• We must implement safeguards so restarts of refineries and other manufacturing industries prevent unnecessary emission surges.
• State and federal agencies must stop issuing permits that destroy wetlands. Additionally, they must eliminate wetlands mitigation allowances in storm surge or flood plain areas.
• Agencies must deny all federal insurance on structures in floodplains.

Planning for a future with bigger hurricanes
• Congress must act to strengthen, not weaken, wetlands protection and other environmental and public health laws.
• It is time for an overhaul of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• We must reshape national energy policy away from fossil fuels.