Disaster debris removal and waste management decisions: a case study of the 2020 Oregon wildfires

This technical summary presents findings from  a case study of decision-making about disaster debris removal and waste management during the 2020 Oregon wildfires. It presents key findings and operational takeaways from qualitative, ethnographic social science research. Interviews were conducted with representatives of federal, state, local government, private sector, and other key social actors and institutions involved with debris removal and waste management. The technical summary draws on social science theory and methods and on social-environmental systems analysis to understand how wildfire-specific waste materials were generated and handled, including hazard trees along roadways, hazardous materials and ash from burned structures. Institutional coordination, property rights, and organizational relationships were some of the key themes explored.

Impact/Purpose

After a disaster, debris removal and subsequent waste management are some of the most time-consuming, costly, logistically challenging, and emotional aspects of response and recovery. They are also essential to a community's social, cultural, and economic recovery. Pursuant to EPA's pillar one and three, and under the core statutory authority of CERCLA and RCRA,  this research used social science theory and methods to understand decision-making during the 2020 Oregon wildfires. It highlights social processes including institutional coordination, relationships, rules, and property rights. This case study provides relevant lessons for how federal, states, localities, and the private sector can undertake environmentally sound and organizationally effective and efficient debris removal and waste management operations. It highlights key findings and operational lessons learned before, during, and after wildfires to reduce environmental and health impacts of wildfires and enable states and communities to undertake resilience and recovery.

Citation

Henson, S., M. Matsler, K. Maxwell, AND D. Farrell. Disaster debris removal and waste management decisions: a case study of the 2020 Oregon wildfires. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-25/261, 2025.

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