Third Debris Removal Pass Continues

Nearly two weeks ago, the City's debris removal contractor, SRS, began its third and final pass through the city to haul debris from roadsides. Several more weeks of this third pass remain.

With FEMA monitoring the process, SRS hauls the debris to storage sites where another contractor, TFR, grinds the debris into mulch and hauls it out of the city. The mulch is being used to add organic content to soils and for cover material for a landfill.

SRS hauled 310 loads totaling 14,057 cubic yards on Wednesday, bringing the total since operations began in early January to 2,525,970 cubic yards. That is enough to cover 395 football fields with debris three feet deep. An estimated 2.7 million cubic yards of debris will have been removed from city rights of way by the time the contractor finishes its operations in Tulsa.

TFR hauled 7,597 cubic yards of mulch from disposal sites on Wednesday. Since operations began they have hauled some 209,845 cubic yards out of the city.

The City is paying $3.79 per cubic yard for debris disposal and the bill so far totals $9.6 million. It is paying $4.68 for debris grinding and disposal. The bill so far for that operation is $982,072. The costs of monitoring the operations, through March 15, are $2.8 million.

Remaining debris should be piled in the right-of-way, which extends several feet past the curb in most areas, but not in the street. It should not be piled beneath low-hanging branches of living trees or too close to fences, mail boxes, utility equipment or other obstructions which would prevent removal crews from accessing it with mechanical grapplers.

Vehicles should not be parked in front of debris piles because the crews cannot reach the debris if it is blocked by parked cars.

The City expects that much of the debris removal costs will be reimbursed by the federal government through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Anyone with questions or concerns about storm debris removal may call the Mayor's Action Center at 596-2100.

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