FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brigitte Kantor, Lee County Solid Waste
(239) 338-3302

COUNTY CONTINUING PROGRESS WITH DEBRIS REMOVAL EFFORT

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 27, 2004) - Lee County now has 100 trucks removing horticultural debris from unincorporated areas, and City of Bonita Springs and Town of Fort Myers Beach (under pre-existing contracts), and is collecting more and more vegetation each day.

In the first week after Hurricane Charley, the county collected 15,000 cubic yards of debris. This past week, the county has collected 54,300 cubic yards of debris.

The horticultural waste is being collected by a combination of clam bucket trucks, regular trucks and other county vehicles, including up to 30 from the county's Department of Transportation. The vegetation is then taken to six staging areas where it is ground up and eventually will be spread on designated preserve lands. The chipping areas are operating 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, with the hour from 6-to-7 to cleanup and complete paperwork.

The county is completing its first pass of collection in many areas. Residents should bear in mind that after the first pass, the second pass often results in collection of 70 percent more debris as homeowners bring more horticulture to the curbside to be disposed of. Therefore, many areas with debris along the roads already have been cleared once.

Current activity includes, but is not limited to:

First pass of horticultural collection is complete from south county line through most of San Carlos Park, which is about 80% complete.
Work is continuing in the Villas, Page Park, and Daniels/Plantation areas.
Anticipate Island Park area to begin today or Saturday.
The highest density of horticulture (per acre) is on Pine Island. Work began last Friday and is continuing from north to south.
Horticultural collection began Thursday in North Fort Myers working from west to east.
Horticultural collection also began Thursday in the areas south of Gladiolus.

One question that residents are asking is why not take chippers into the neighborhoods and grind up the material by the houses and they go along. It is estimated this would take much longer than removal with trucks to staging areas.

The county also is focusing on yard debris first. After that, construction and demolition debris will be the priority and will be taken to Gulf Coast Landfill.

Below are some frequently asked questions about the debris removal.

Are my regular garbage and recyclable schedules being affected?

No. Regular garbage and recyclable pickups resumed Monday, August 16 (two days after the storm) and have continued on a regular schedule. Pickup of garbage is the highest priority because of health hazards associated with putrification.

How should I prepare yard waste and construction & demolition debris for pickup?

Separate the horticulture and C&D debris into different piles.
You do not need to bundle the piles or cut them to length. They will be picked up. However, more manageable lengths (six feet or less) are easier to pick up.
Do not place piles near obstructions (mailboxes, hydrants, trees) in case a clam bucket is used to pick up the pile.
Putting small amounts of C&D and horticultural waste (less than 50 pounds) in cans instead of piles also is helpful.

Is there an extra charge to pick up storm debris?

Not for residential dwellings, it is part of your regular garbage assessment. If a county contractor tries to charge you, please report it to the Solid Waste Division at 338-3302. Businesses, however, will be charged for extra collection costs, if applicable.

What is the schedule for debris removal?

The county is enlisting more and more resources each day. Pick-ups are ongoing in each franchise area every day, though not daily on every street.

A hauler came and picked up part, but not all, of my debris?

This is not unusual. Because of the routes and different trucks used for different types and sizes of debris, some, but not all, piles may be picked up during a regular sweep. They will come back later to pick up the rest.