Broadbent & Associates, Inc. (Broadbent), a leading environmental, water resource, and civil engineering firm, completes assistance to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9, Emergency Response Section (ERS) in their response and recovery efforts to the devastating Maui fires in Maui, Hawai’i. Broadbent assisted in two primary ways: using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to map impacted fire zones, and assisting with surveying, removing, and disposing of household hazardous waste (HHW) and asbestos containing material (ACM).
For Broadbent’s commercial drone pilots, Neil Ellis and Holly Miller, the UAS mission aimed to utilize drones for burn-scar aerial mapping, digital surface modeling, and analysis of post-disaster conditions over three impacted fire zones totalling 5,000+ acres. In addition to large-scale aerial mapping tasks, EPA tasked Broadbent’s UAS team with multiple special assignments including surface overland flow modeling for ash and contaminant runoff management, post-disaster 3D modeling and documentation at culturally significant locations for Hawai’i and Maui cultural representatives, and coastline mapping for debris assessments.
“When we received the call requesting assistance for aerial mapping, our team was mobilized within 48- hours,” said Neil Ellis, FAA drone pilot and Associate Scientist. “Rapid response efforts are essential during disasters of this magnitude. These fires have been devastating to the island of Maui and our hearts go out to those affected.”
Regarding HHW and ACM removal activities, Broadbent deployed a total 16 professionals to support the recovery efforts. Under Emergency Support Function-10 (ESF-10), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tasked the EPA with surveying, removing, and disposing of HHW and ACM from properties affected by fires in Lāhainā, Olinda, and Kula. Broadbent’s environmental scientists, geologists, and certified asbestos professionals assisted in that effort by working alongside Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) and EPA teams to identify and remove HHW and ACM until completing their work in December 2023.
Broadbent is committed to providing financial support and volunteerism in the communities where they live and work, and they are proud to be able to help with the Maui disaster relief effort, by both providing professional support and through donations to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund.
For more information visit,
Maui Strong Fund – Hawaii Community Foundation
For more information on Broadbent, visit www.broadbentinc.com.