Debris Management and Restoration of the Miyagi Prefecture Following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

Abstract eng:
The 2011 Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake and Tsunami had a very devastating effect on the coastal townships, industrial fishing and farming communities. An overwhelming amount of debris was generated in the three damaged prefectures (Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima). The earthquake and tsunami debris quantities exceeded 27 million tons, with the Miyagi prefecture having the largest amount of 18.73 million tons. This generated debris included construction/building rubble, vegetative debris, vehicles, vessels and tsunami deposits. Management of the debris proved difficult due to the variant types and large quantities, requiring the need for multiple debris operation sites for sorting and disposal. This case study reviews the progress in debris management within the first four years of the planned 10 year recovery period. The discussion includes: site allocation for debris processing, debris collection and sorting procedures, debris storage, and reconstruction planning of debris operation sites. The Miyagi prefecture completed its debris operations within the first three years, the restoration phase of the recovery. The reconstruction phase is currently underway. Concrete debris and tsunami deposits have been recycled for use within the reconstruction projects. The findings of this case study will be used in a future comparative study of disaster debris management in Japan over time.

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