## 5 Debris Management and Related Hazards in the Earthquake-Affected Provines in Turkey
### Debris Management and Related Hazards in the Earthquake-Affected Provinces in Turkey
#### 5.2.1 Samandag Disposal Site
In addition to the above interventions, which have been highly detrimental to the coastal environment of Samandag, another action that is characterized by a high potential to cause significant impact on both the ecosystem and the local population is the establishment of a debris disposal site in the coastal area of Samandag, in particular immediately north of the stadium of the city (Figure 4). This disposal site is located just 20 m southwest of the above field, 30 m from the coastal road, and 150 m from the coastline (Figure 4). During our field survey in the southernmost end of the earthquake-affected area in early May 2023, we found that due to the continuous dumping of debris from the earthquake at this location, a wide and high pile had been formed (Figure 5a). It was higher than the adjacent stand of the stadium (Figure 5b), while it also occupied a large part of the marshy area west of the field (Figure 5a,c). A characteristic of the earthquake debris management at this site was the constant arrival of trucks and the dumping of the debris at the top and side of the debris pile without any other intermediate treatment for sorting materials. Particularly on the slopes of this debris pile, the presence of various materials was evident, for example, concrete, steel reinforcement bars, household waste, white appliances, soil material, etc. (Figure 5c). This mixture of materials makes this assemblage very dangerous for water bodies and the local population. Due to the mixing of many materials of different types and origins from different and distant areas, soil, seeds, or other materials containing non-native species may be unintentionally introduced into the local environment and then dominate and disturb the native flora and fauna with chain reactions and expansions up to the local human population. Figure 5: Views of the Samandag disposal site. Dust clouds were constantly formed (**a,b**) due to the limited prevention measures applied during treatment. (**b**) The pile was formed very close to a stadium where a tented camp had been set up. (**c**) Several types of debris in the pile reveal no sorting at all and cover a large part of the coastal swamp west of the stadium. This indiscriminate dumping of earthquake debris endangers both surface and underground water bodies in the area. Marshes and rivers formed in the surrounding area will be degraded immediately by surface water contamination by rubble, chemicals, and hazardous material of the earthquake debris and by subsequent water quality degradation that will make the water unsafe for human consumption and the aquatic life with high potential for long-term effects. As shown in the case of the 21 May 2003, Mw = 6.8 Boumerdes (Algeria) earthquake [91], the effects are not limited to surface water but they could be expanded to groundwater. Due to the fact that the Samandag site is developed in a coastal environment very close to both a river and the sea, the depth of the groundwater is small, resulting in hazardous material either dissolving or leaching into the groundwater. Contaminated water can have a long-term and negative impact on both humans and any living organism in the area. The proximity of the debris pile to the sea can also affect marine organisms and the balance of the marine system through surface water supply from the adjacent river or subsurface flow from the aquifer. As far as air quality is concerned, it will certainly be affected by debris management at this site. The earthquake-affected people who have settled in the tents within the Samandag stadium are those directly affected by the generation and the transport of the dust clouds. Because Samandag is characterized by the most significant wind energy potential in Turkey [97], it is possible and probable that the generated dust and hazardous particles could be transported over long distances and affect the health of not only the residents of the adjacent areas but also of a large part of the city.