FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 15TH DEADLINE FOR HURRICANE IRENE STORM DEBRIS COLLECTION FOR NEWPORT NEWS RESIDENTS

Residents have until October 15th to call for Hurricane Irene storm debris collection.

Newport News residents have until October 15th to have their Hurricane Irene storm debris collected by the City. Last weekend collection crews completed their sweep of the city and over 80,000 cubic yards of debris was collected in roughly three and a half weeks. Collections of large storm debris will now be made on a call-in basis.

Residents who still have Hurricane Irene storm debris too large for curbside pickup (i.e., over 6’ in length and 6” in diameter) can request collection by contacting the Public Works Call Center at (757) 269-2700. Residents will be asked to provide their name, address, and phone number so that crews may visit the address, determine the proper equipment needed (based on size and amount of debris), and confirm a collection date with the resident.

Storm debris that is less than 6’ in length and 6” in diameter can be placed curbside for regular bulk waste collection.

Residents are reminded to:

• Not mix vegetative debris (i.e., yard waste) with other bulk waste items, like bagged debris, mattresses, furniture, appliances, etc. Vegetative debris should be in a separate pile from other bulk items when placed curbside for collection.
• Combine small piles of vegetative debris together so collection efforts are more efficient and productive. It takes just about the same amount of time to collect the small vegetative piles as it does the larger ones.
• Put loose leaves, pine straw, pine cones, and other small debris either in their garbage cart or in bags and set out for bulk collection (separate from any piles of vegetative waste). The trucks used to pick up debris cannot pick up these small items, and they tend to end up in our storm drains potentially causing localized flooding.
   

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