Burke County commissioners back request for Army Corps help to remove waterway debris after Hurricane Helena

Burke County commissioners voted to ask the state to request a dedicated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission to remove debris from navigable waterways and to pair that work with recently eligible private‑property debris removal, following a staff briefing on the county’s post‑Hurricane Helena recovery work.

The county manager, Brian Manning, told the commissioners the county has collected more than 255,000 cubic yards of right‑of‑way debris and has been operating three alternate debris sites (the fairgrounds, Marsh Trail solid‑waste facility and East Fleming). Manning said removal and reduction of debris has included grinding and FEMA‑approved disposal at the landfill after a short, halted attempt at burning because of nearby wildfires in McDowell County.

Manning summarized the two routes available for waterway debris removal: (1) contracting with one of the state‑approved private contractors (the county would manage and coordinate the work and pay the local share up front), or (2) asking the state Emergency Management Division to request a mission via WebEOC for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to administer and perform the work. “The Army Corps option … removes the administrative component from the county,” Manning said, but it also would reduce local control because the Corps would set priorities and timeline after a mission is accepted. Manning added that the Corps’ crews could prioritize work within weeks to months, while private contracting could mobilize faster but would require more county staff time to manage compliance and reimbursements.

Staff gave a preliminary cost estimate only for a single major waterway: an aerial survey of the Catawba River put an estimated removal cost at just under $900,000 for the segments assessed. Manning said a county‑level estimate across all waterways would be higher but did not provide a countywide total at the meeting. He also told commissioners that private‑property debris removal (PPDR) recently became eligible under the federal/public assistance framework for a level‑1 disaster and that pairing PPDR with waterway work could improve access for equipment and provide economies of scale.

Manning described a key reimbursement risk if the county attempts to find secondary markets for debris (for example supplying mulch or timber to private firms). If material with market value is diverted into commerce rather than disposed in FEMA‑approved ways, federal reimbursement for collection and disposal can be reduced or denied. Manning said the county has been advised informally by state staff that the state intends to cover the usual local 10% share after the 180‑day federal window lapses, but he stressed that the county did not yet have written confirmation of that commitment and therefore some financial exposure remains.

Commissioners discussed the options. Commissioner Stroud urged caution about private contractors’ discipline in some mountain counties; others noted neighboring counties have relied on the Corps for waterway work. Following discussion, the board voted to authorize staff to ask the state to submit a mission request to the Army Corps of Engineers for waterway debris removal and to pair that mission with eligible private‑property debris removal where practicable. The board’s motion was approved by voice vote (4–0).

Why this matters: county staff said the decision affects how quickly crews can access waterways, the county’s administrative workload, and the extent of the county’s short‑term financial risk. The Corps mission would shift operational responsibility to a federal agency but reduce local control over sequencing; private contracting would allow more local prioritization but require more staff time and could leave the county exposed to reimbursement risk if contractors handle material in non‑FEMA‑approved ways.

Next steps: staff will coordinate the formal mission request through the state Emergency Operations Center, continue site inventories and GPS tagging of impacted bridges and infrastructure, and provide the board with further cost estimates and written confirmation status about the state’s commitment to cover the local 10% share after the federal window.