Hauling off Harvey debris will take time
Picking up the pieces — literally — will provide a big lift to Houston-area residents but will require a massive effort from government agencies that need to quickly remove tons of contaminated trash from curbs and streets.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has called cleaning up debris from flooded homes a “herculean” task, both for public health reasons and for the mental health of the storm’s victims. The city’s success in dealing with Harvey will be judged “by how quickly we can move that debris from in front of their house,” Turner said. “Because that will be a constant reminder of this storm.”
President Donald Trump’s approval of disaster assistance authorized the federal government to pick up 90 percent of the cost of debris removal, accelerating cleanup efforts.
Meanwhile, with debris from tens of thousands of flooded homes piling up and deteriorating in the humid Texas heat, officials are warning homeowners and remodelers to separate the loads, keep vehicles out of the way of equipment and avoid blocking roads.
The sheer volume of junk headed for recycling centers and landfills has led to trash trucks from across the state descending on Houston. In Kingwood, San Antonio trash trucks are helping. Dallas and Austin trucks also will be in the Houston area.
In unincorporated Harris County, contractors will handle removal.
FEMA data show the county and all the cities inside it spent $242 million on debris removal after Hurricane Ike, $15 million after Tropical Storm Allison and less than $5 million after Hurricane Rita and the recent Memorial Day and Tax Day floods.
Houston and Harris County officials say Harvey will top them all; the city estimates it will collect 8 million cubic yards of waste at a cost of more than $200 million.
With advice from FEMA, officials said materials should be divided into five categories, each separately organized: vegetation, construction and demolition, appliances, electronics and hazardous waste.
The different piles are necessary because different types of debris are going different places, including recycling facilities, landfills and hazardous material handlers, said Dimetra Hamilton of the Harris County Infrastructure Department.
Officials also stressed not mixing routine trash in with the other debris.
“Debris should be placed close to the side of the road away from mailboxes, trees, meters, fire hydrants and other structures,” Houston’s solid waste department said in a release. “Please do not place debris in the roadway.”
To avoid contamination and other health problems, Hamilton said appliances such as refrigerators and freezers should be cleared of any food.
“Just put that in the regular trash,” she said.
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said debris will be the issue over which residents are most likely to lose their patience.
“Everybody is fully aware that people want to get on with their lives,” Emmett said. “That’s real difficult to do if you have a whole mountain of debris sitting in front of your yard.”