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Caltrans Helps Hurricane Katrina Victims
By Hamid Hakim, Ph.D., P.E. (Senior T.E.)
Division of Construction
During this year’s severe hurricane and flood season, communities worked to help those in need by donating clothes, food or money to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Caltrans is also doing its part.
For example, to protect the environment during reconstruction activities in New Orleans, Caltrans permitted a multi-national business to use various sections of the Caltrans “Construction Site Best Management Practices Manual.”
“We were very happy to be of service to folks in Louisiana and were flattered that they found our manuals worth referencing,” said Keith Jones of the Division of Environmental Analysis.
The multi-national business, provides engineering, construction, and maintenance services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracts with the corporation to construct temporary housing for hurricane victims.
The Caltrans Storm Water Management Program provided resources, and the Division of Construction produced, the manual and other documents to provide guidelines for protecting the environment. The materials offer comprehensive guidance to prevent adverse effects of storm water runoff from construction sites. They also help contractors prepare and implement programs to control water pollution effectively during the construction of all projects.
Following the 1987 Clean Water Act amendments and subsequent storm water regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Caltrans developed and implemented a storm water management program. Control of storm water pollution became a part of Caltrans' normal business practices, covering all aspects of the project development process. The Storm Water Management Program is a collaborative multi-divisional effort involving Environmental Analysis, Design, Right of Way, Traffic Operations, Construction and Maintenance.
Today, the Caltrans Storm Water Program employs more than 70 staff statewide and operates on an $83 million annual budget. It is a recognized and trusted leader in providing exceptional technical knowledge in all aspects of storm water management. Other storm water management documents are the “Statewide Storm Water Quality Practice Guidelines,” “Maintenance Staff Guide” and “Caltrans Storm Water Quality Practice Guidelines- Project Planning and Design Guide.” These guide the implementation of storm water controls, or Best Management Practices (BMPs); maintenance of BMPs, and design and incorporation of BMPs into Caltrans projects. Each resource plays a part in protecting the environment and complying with the terms of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits.
Caltrans is happy to be of service to the citizens of Louisiana, and staff are gratified to know that our time, talent and efforts have improved the lives of Hurricane Katrina’s victims.