More trash than Hurricane Elvis
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On July 3, the Bartlett Public Works Department hopes to have completed its first cleanup sweep of the city. After three weeks of working 11-hour days in scorching 90-degree temperatures, collecting the tree limbs and other debris that littered
“Everybody realizes what we’ve got to do; it’s a public service, a commitment we made to the public,” Solid Waste Division Manager Ronnie Caldwell said. “Things like this just take time.” The work is far from over, however. Damage from the June 12 storm has been compared to that of July 2003’s “Hurricane Elvis,” which required six complete sweeps of the city for cleanup.
“To date we’ve collected 30,000 cubic yards of debris,”
So far,
“We hopefully might be halfway through,” he said. “But we will continue to sweep the city until it’s all gone.”
Citizens have been voicing concerns about the prospect of dried limbs and leaves remaining in gutters during Independence Day festivities, as sparks from mishandled fireworks could ignite the yard waste. That possibility is driving the Public Works crews to complete cleanup before Friday evening.
“We hope people act responsibly when they’re setting off fireworks, knowing there’s a hazard there,”
The Solid Waste Division has been working along its standard weekly route to gather the debris; however, waste collection along Monday’s route took three days, and dealing with Thursday and Friday’s routes have occupied this entire week. In spite of the delays, public response to the effort has been generally positive.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. We can’t be everywhere at once,”
The storm debris is being mulched at the Solid Waste Complex, and the division is hoping to keep 500 cubic yards of mulch to “give back to the community” after the cleanup process is complete.
