Debris removal, recycling daunting, piecemeal labor (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Waste not, want not: Utility poles and other wreckage from the March quake and tsunami are piled up in front of a sign reading "Metal waste storage area" at a temporary disposal site in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, in late May. YOSHIAKI MIURA

By SETSUKO KAMIYA
Staff writer

Removing and disposing of the debris generated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami are crucial parts of the recovery process as the people in the devastated region move forward with rebuilding their communities.


Heavy lifting: A power shovel clears debris from a residential area in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, in May. YOSHIAKI MIURA

More than three months after the magnitude 9.0 quake, splintered wood, concrete blocks, steel reinforcing bars and all kinds of other waste are gradually being cleared from commercial and residential areas. The wreckage is brought to temporary collection points that are rapidly growing into mountains of rubble.

Even so, piles of flotsam still remain visible in many communities, and removing it all will take many more months — and the disposal will take years. Local governments are facing many challenges as they fight to manage the unprecedented amount of debris.

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[GKirk]

1. I wonder if this will

create any downward pressure on global scrap metal prices.

[fivepennies]

2. More fun ....

"The huge mass of an ocean debris field from the tsunami in Japan is headed towards the West Coast (of the US) and Hawaii.

The ruins of houses, cars, trees along with human remains are just some of the things contained in this floating island.

When the debris field hits the U.S. shores, some very disturbing and grisly findings could be among the garbage that floats in, according to NPR.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/08/135232738/cars-houses-human-remains-debris-from-japan-is-headed-toward-u-s

The debris field is so large, that there is no way to clean it up before hitting the US shores. This debris field is going to hit the Hawaiian Islands first and then make its way to the West Coast of the U.S. and British Columbia.

The University of Hawaii’s International Pacific Research Center has calculated that debris will wash up for years on the West Coast and Hawaii.

Members of the U.S. Navy's 7th fleet, who spotted the extraordinary floating rubbish, say they have never seen anything like it and are warning the debris now poses a threat to shipping traffic.

'It's very challenging to move through these to consider these boats run on propellers and that these fishing nets or other debris can be dangerous to the vessels that are actually trying to do the work,' Ensign Vernon Dennis told ABC News.

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. Self delete

On second thought, that could be misconstrued.

[kestrel91316]

4. Won't be much in the way of "grisly" left after all these months at sea.

Sea creatures have done their job of feeding on the remains.