Disaster Recovery Case Study

Emergency preparedness is essential to protect your family and your business.

Being prepared to manage debris from natural disasters is no exception. Experience and expertise are necessary to address uncertainty and protect public health.

California Case Study – 2 years, 3 disasters

The Valley Fires of 2015 in Lake and Mendocino Counties burned 76,000 acres and consumed nearly 1,300 homes. Our Lake County Transfer Station and Recycling Center worked seamlessly with local and state agencies to help expedite the clean- up process. We helped process thousands of tons of disaster-related material including metal, concrete, wood, and green waste.

Just over a year later…

In February 2017 Lake County was hit with flooding as a result of Clearlake exceeding flood stage resulting in evacuations of several areas, and additional resources for clean up efforts.

Just months later…

In October 2017, Sonoma County lost over 5,500 homes in a devastating firestorm that torched 112,000 acres. Initial reports estimated that the County would need to process over one million tons of fire debris. Within days of the fires erupting, Pacific Recycling Solutions (PRS) sprang into action to divert as much material as possible from the landfill.

At a heavy industrial park in Windsor, CA, PRS quickly mobilized a Fire Debris Recovery Site by:

  • Securing emergency waivers from regulatory agencies
  • Renting and purchasing heavy equipment
  • Assembling two weigh stations with calibrated scales
  • Establishing utilities to service the sites
  • Hiring and training personnel

Less than two weeks after the fires were contained, PRS began to receive concrete, metal and burnt vehicles from fire sites. Over 150,000 tons were diverted from the landfill. Metal and vehicles were recycled, and the concrete was crushed into recycled aggregate to be used in building pads, driveways, roads, etc.

To learn more about how this recycled product is contributing to the recovery, visit www.PRSSonoma.com.