Construction and Demolition Debris
Issue Summary
U.S. EPA
States
Organizations/Non-Government Programs
Publications
Databases and Tools
Issue Summary
Construction and
demolition (C&D) debris refers to materials produced in the
process of construction, renovation and/or demolition of structures,
where structures include buildings (residential, commercial, and
institutional), roads, and bridges. Depending on your state's
definition, C&D debris typically includes concrete, asphalt,
wood, gypsum wallboard, paper, glass, rubble, and roofing materials.
Land clearing debris, such as stumps, rocks, and dirt are also
included in some state definitions. In most cases C&D debris is
nonhazardous and is regulated by states and local governments rather
than by EPA. An exception would be where C&D debris contains
hazardous waste, such as removed asbestos insulation. For information
on hazardous waste regulations, see: LGEAN Hazardous Waste section.
C&D debris
is a significant issue in the U.S. because of the enormous volume of
C&D debris generated. A large fraction of C&D debris ends up
in municipal solid waste landfills or in special C&D landfills,
which may have the potential to contaminate groundwater. Also, each
year, there is less land available for waste disposal. As a result,
many state and local governments are seeking ways to divert C&D
debris from land disposal, including the promotion of recycling.
Also, Green Building programs exist where the focus is on minimizing
the generation of wastes.
State and local
regulations may limit where C&D debris can dispose of. For
example some local governments do not permit C&D debris to be
disposed of in their municipal landfill. Also, some local
governments, particularly in California, require construction
companies to recycle a minimum percentage of the C&D debris
generated.
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U.S. EPA
EPA's
Construction and Demolition Debris Website.
Includes sections on managing and reducing C&D debris. Also, a
topic-based list of C&D resources can be found at this site.
All Hazards Waste Management Planning Tool. This interactive online tool helps emergency managers develop pre-incident waste management plans for both natural and man-made disasters. This tool offers improved estimation of waste volumes based on specific information about structures in impacted areas, updated and more detailed information on waste management facilities, the ability to add information on transportation options, and integration with other EPA disaster debris systems.
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States
C&D
Debris State Locator. Use this tool to locate
regulatory information and other compliance assistance and P2
resources for your state. It is also recommended that you contact
your city or county government to determine if local rules also apply
to your project.
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Organizations/Non-Government
Programs
None at this time.
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Publications
Managing
Your Environmental Responsibilities (MYER) -
A Planning Guide for Construction and Development This document
explains in detail the environmental obligations that construction
companies can face across the various federal laws (stormwater, air,
wetlands, waste...). Use it to factor in costs during the bidding
process, assign responsibilities and use the checklists to
self-audit.
Building
Savings: Strategies for Waste Reduction of Construction and
Demolition Debris from Buildings. The Waste
Reduction Record-Setters Project fosters the development of
exceptional waste reduction programs by documenting successful ones.
These programs can be used as models by others implementing their own
programs to reduce disposal. This fact sheet packet is aimed at local
governments that want to encourage more building-related construction
and demolition debris recovery, building owners and developers
interested in green building design, and building contractors seeking
a competitive edge.
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Databases and Tools
EPA Resource Conservation-Construction and Demolition Materials: extensive list of resources like: success stories, documents, fact sheets, case studies, and international resources related to C&D materials management from the EPA.
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