Latest news with #ArmyCorpsofEngineers


Japan Today
5 days ago
- General
- Japan Today
LA fires charred homes into piles of metal and concrete. By recycling them, they're given new life
Debris from January wildfires is processed at a recycling facility set up on a golf course in Altadena, Calif. By DORANY PINEDA Candace Frazee recently walked through the burnt remains of The Bunny Museum, searching for anything that could be salvaged before workers cleared the land. The Eaton Fire in Southern California in January scorched more than 60,000 bunny objects and memorabilia, leaving behind mounds of ash, steel and concrete littered across the landscape. Giant bunny statues that once greeted guests were left just wiry, hollow skeletons. Her home in the back was also gone. Yet amid the debris, there are valuable materials being redeemed: Metal, concrete and some trees are being recycled and given new life. 'It's fantastic. It's absolutely fantastic,' said Frazee of recycling the materials, who co-founded the museum with her husband. 'That's the right thing to do.' After the Palisades and Eaton fires scorched entire neighborhoods, the Army Corps of Engineers set up operations to recycle concrete and metal from mostly fire-damaged homes. Metal is compacted and concrete is crushed, then trucked to recycling facilities before re-entering the supply chain for future uses. And some trees and shrubs are processed and sold. 'A lot of this material can be reused in future construction, and that's just good for the environment,' said Col. Sonny Avichal, an Army Corps commander for the Eaton Fire. 'And so there is definitely this notion of, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're able to recover will actually come back and help rebuild Altadena.' The agency said these operations have sped up recovery efforts, reduced waste going to landfills and helped lower the number of trucks on the road, but they've also sparked some worries. Residents have raised concerns that the work produces or kick up particles into the air. The Army Corps maintains they're ensuring operations are safe by monitoring air quality and continually watering the sites to minimize dust. A large dump truck filled with wiry and garbled steel arrived at an Altadena golf course that had been partially burned. The metal pulled from fire-destroyed properties was compacted here before being trucked to a recycling facility where it can be melted, cast and resold. A steel beam can become a steel beam again, or be morphed into a car door or roof panel. Across the globe, the steel industry represents an estimated 8% of planet-warming emissions, and just 1 to 2 % in the U.S. — the fourth largest steel producer. And according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association, recycled steel doesn't lose its quality. Annually, some 60 to 80 million tons of steel scrap are recycled into new products in North America. Every refrigerator that's recycled reduces 215 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the group's estimates. 'Steel is infinitely recyclable,' said Adina Renee Adler, executive director of the Global Steel Climate Council, an industry group working to reduce carbon emissions. 'It is, in fact, the most recycled material out of everything that we have.' Adler hopes people who lost homes to the fires will feel a glimmer of hope knowing some of those materials will be given new life. That could be for somebody else, somewhere else, or to build their own homes anew. The concrete that arrived to these sites is pulverized into large concrete chunks piled 10 feet (3.05 meters) high into inch-and-a-half and 3 inch pieces before being trucked to local construction materials companies. In its new form, concrete can be used to elevate ground in construction sites, for example, or provide a base layer before pavement is applied, or be used to create concrete again. Making concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the U.S., most of which come from producing and processing its predecessor, cement. That's because coal and other fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases when burned, are the main energy sources for making cement, and the actual chemical reaction that occurs when producing it also releases planet-warming emissions, said Ben Skinner, a manager on the cement and concrete team with RMI, a group working to accelerate the clean energy transition. But recycling concrete doesn't substantially lower its carbon footprint, he added. It does, however, have 'great environmental impacts' because it reduces the extraction of new raw materials when it's turned into aggregate — stuff like sand or gravel used to make concrete — while still producing high quality material. It also keeps waste from going to landfills. Large trees were knocked onto homes and parkways from the same powerful winds that sent fires out of control, and the infernos scorched canopies. Trees that fell into ash get sent to landfills. Others that are still standing and pose a safety risk are cut down. Some logs are sent to local mills to be manufactured into lumber that can be used in the rebuilding process. Others are mulched to become soil amendment, the name for organic matter added to soil to improve its quality, then sold to companies and farmers, said Matthew Long, senior program manager for Environmental Chemical Corporation, the contractor running the operations. Long has done fire recovery work for nearly a decade — including in Hawaii after the Lahaina fires and other California blazes in 2017 and 2018. 'It's really rewarding work,' he said. 'You're interacting with someone who lost everything daily and helping them move to the next step of recovery.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut leaders address use of controversial chemical diquat against hydrilla
DEEP RIVER, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut leaders are addressing concerns about the use of the controversial chemical diquat to combat hydrilla. Diquat dibromide is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for aquatic use, but is currently banned in the European Union. Conversation has stirred online — including stemming from a petition with close to 20,000 signatures — pointing to concerns over the chemical's use in state waterways. Known as a severe irritant, some studies have shown it could also pose harm to aquatic life. 'The evidence to date shows that any negative effects on aquatic life are short term and reversible. The impacts of hydrilla are not,' Alicea Charamut of the Rivers Alliance of Connecticut said Friday. Through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plans are in place to treat waterways via sub-surface injection into limited ponds, coves and marinas state-wide. If left unchecked, experts say the overgrowth of hydrilla could lead to depleted oxygen levels in waterways, affecting local wildlife and fauna. 'Hydrilla is really the greater evil,' Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Mason Trumble said, 'It can spread really quickly.' State leaders say the decision to use the herbicide was not made lightly. Greg Bugbee of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, who worked closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, explained Friday that multiple test sites, public hearings and workshops over the span of three years were brought into consideration. 'They wanted to test all options that they knew could possibly work,' Bugbee said. According to a public notice sent by the Army Corps of Engineers, treatment will be happening at these locations: Chester Creek in Chester Deep River in Deep River Hamburg Cove in Lyme Joshua Creek in Lyme Mattabesset River in Middletown Parker's Point in Chester an expanded Portland Boat Works in Portland Post and Pratt Coves in Deep River Salmon River in East Haddam Selden Creek in Lyme Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton Pameacha Pond in Middletown Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword


Los Angeles Times
16-07-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Legally protected nesting birds delayed fire cleanup on 200-plus burned properties
Nearly three months after the Palisades fire burned down our family home on now aptly named Carbon Canyon, I was told on April Fools' Day that a debris removal crew would soon be clearing its charred remains. Thank goodness, the cavalry finally was on its way. But just minutes after a giant excavator toppled our two brick chimneys, a muscle-bound foreman called a halt to the work with a shrill whistle. Workers huddled. Supervisors phoned. One of them pronounced: Work clearing our 77-year-old ranch house must stop. The Army Corps of Engineers wanted to make sure that asbestos in our house's foundation had all been cleared away. That was confirmed within a day or two. All the hazardous material had been bagged and trucked off. But still we waited. Weeks passed without much of an update. It wasn't until June that I learned the main reason for the delay. On a garbled voicemail, I could make out only that it had something to do with 'habitat' and 'stress.' When I made my way to Carbon Canyon, I found a tiny sign posted at the end of our driveway. 'Nesting Bird Buffer,' it read. 'Restricted area. DO NOT ENTER.' Debris cleanup crews keep a lookout for family treasures, mature trees and even the graves of buried pets. They checked all those boxes in the home, where I grew up with my parents, brother and sister and myriad dogs. But I had not realized their work plans also paid special attention to wild birds. An Army Corps contractor explained that they were following the requirements of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, signed by President Wilson, to stop a massive kill-off of birds beneficial to humankind. The law prohibits 'taking' without a permit not only birds but their nests and eggs too. Environmental observers had fanned out across the burn zones to make sure the cleanup attended to the rules. Our property was one of 216 in the burn zones (80 in the Palisades and Malibu and 136 in Altadena) where cleanups were put at least briefly on hold to try to protect nesting birds and their young. In cases when the homeowners could not afford to wait, bird observers would turn into bird movers. A total of 181 fire rescue birds (including bushtits, acorn wookpeckers and red-shouldered hawks) were recently still in the care of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. The work hiatus at our place began after a contractor spotted a pair of mourning doves on our hillside. The doves cleared out in a few days, but then observers spotted at least two pairs of hooded orioles, building nests high up in our heavily scorched palm trees. Of course it was the orioles! Each spring of my semirural eastern Malibu childhood, the orioles would take center stage. While other critters tended to wear the muted colors of the chaparral-choked hillsides, the orioles flew in from their wintering grounds in Mexico sporting a much more rakish look. The females wore elegant yellow feathers, while the males sported bright orange 'hoods' and midnight-black wings. The birds' startling colors seized our attention. And their family life held it. They returned each year to banana trees right beside our swimming pool. On the underside of the banana fronds, they'd weave straw and pine needles into tear-drop-shaped baskets. Nests so finely crafted they could have hung in a gallery. Then, and now, they also constitute a crucial link in the food chain, especially notable for keeping the insect population in check. I hadn't thought about these old neighbors for years, though I visited the old house frequently, until my mom's death about a year ago. Now, they'd delayed us, and others, in getting on with whatever comes next. The response has been more open than you'd expect. 'I lost my home and would happily delay for the short amount of time it would take for these eggs to hatch,' Kelly Jackson, whose home burned down in the Eaton fire, said on social media. She wasn't alone. Most of us around the fire zones have come to realize that it will take much more than concrete, Sheetrock and double-pane windows to restore our communities. In our stretch of the sagebrush, it might take the brilliant, plucky orioles. They are among the grittiest survivors, a reminder of what endures. Kristen Breck says, 'Stinson Beach!!' Jaime Del Carpio says, 'Crystal Cove.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's photo is from Times contributor Ron De Angelis at the workshop of master refinisher Aaron Moore who shares his tips on the 'lost art' of refinishing. Jim Rainey, staff writerDiamy Wang, homepage internIzzy Nunes, audience internHugo Martin, assistant editor for Fast BreakKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on


Axios
14-07-2025
- General
- Axios
Inside the bird-nesting haven few humans see: Tampa's 3D Island
Rising 40 feet above the waters of Hillsborough Bay is a human-made island that's become a vital habitat for beach-nesting birds. Why it matters: 3D Island and nearby 2D Island — both formed from leftover sand from Port Tampa Bay dredging projects — support the reproduction of coastal birds that are key to a thriving, healthy ecosystem. Among the island populations are species that have struggled with population declines, including the black skimmer and American oystercatcher. 👋 Kathryn here. Humans typically aren't allowed on the islands during nesting season, spanning April 1 to Aug. 31. Yes, but: I was invited on a media tour of 3D Island by Port Tampa Bay spokesperson Lisa Wolf-Chason. Guides from Audubon Florida, which manages the island with the port and the Army Corps of Engineers, helped ensure we didn't interfere with nature taking its course. After I wrote about Florida's vanishing birds a couple of months ago, the visit last week was a salve. By the numbers: In June, Audubon representatives counted 220 black skimmer adults, 12 nests and 26 chicks on the island. There were 14 American oystercatchers, one nest and four chicks. Species of tern — including sandwich, Caspian and royal — numbered in the thousands, as did laughing gulls, those black-and-white birds that are plentiful on Tampa Bay shorelines. What we saw: There were so many birds that our Audubon and Port guides warned us that we may get pooped on. (Which I somehow avoided. Wolf-Chason wasn't so lucky — sorry, Lisa!) Black skimmers, with their long, orange and black beaks, were scattered throughout the island, and we even spotted the rare American oystercatcher on the sandy shore. On the way up the ridge were laughing gulls at various stages of growth: nests in the shrubbery with brown-speckled eggs, awkward tan-feathered teenagers stumbling over the sand, and black and white adults squawking above us. We paused at the top to observe a group of orange-billed royal terns, their black head feathers sticking up like mohawks. And then we saw the chick, a tiny little fluffball of joy tucked in the white wing of an adult. Stunning moment: A pesky vulture trying to poke around the island didn't stand a chance as every bird in the area, no matter the species, chased it off in a flurry of feathers. What they're saying:"That's the benefit of nesting in a colony," Audubon sanctuary manager Jeff Liechty said. "There's power in numbers." Between the lines: Another benefit of nesting on the island is the lack of people. Several species lay their eggs directly on the sand, making their nests particularly vulnerable — especially on crowded beaches. If you see a nesting area blocked off, stay clear of it. The bottom line: As for 3D Island, it belongs to the birds.


The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
House Democrats call for 'urgent review‘ of deadly Texas flooding
Three House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump and two officials involved in weather infrastructure Friday expressing concerns about the government's preparedness for future flood disasters and extreme weather events. 'This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 345 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024,' the lawmakers, Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), wrote. 'These events are not anomalies—they are harbingers of a climate-disrupted future,' they added. Doggett represents a district centered around Austin, a couple hours' drive from Kerr County, the epicenter of the floods. Sorensen is a meteorologist. The lawmakers expressed concern about whether the Department of Government Efficiency-driven staff reductions at the National Weather Service delayed warnings about the Texas floods, which have claimed at least 120 lives. The New York Times reported that the vacancies may have complicated efforts to coordinate with local officials, and that some of the unfilled positions predate the Trump administration. The letter was addressed to Trump alongside Army Corps of Engineers General William Graham Jr. and acting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator Laura Grimm. The lawmakers also asked the NOAA and the Army Corps of Engineers to detail how they planned to adapt federal weather services to what they called 'the growing frequency of extreme precipitation events attributable to climate change.' The joint message follows another letter from Doggett on Tuesday asking the NOAA about the impact of staffing shortages. Trump visited Texas on Friday to assess damage from the flooding. At least 160 people remain missing.