Hurricane Irma Debris Collection Begins in Manatee County; Bradenton Starts Next Week

BRADENTON, FL - Debris contractors will begin storm debris collection on Tuesday for residents in unincorporated Manatee County. In Bradenton, debris collection begins the week of Sept. 25. County officials are urging residents to keep their sandbags because hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov. 30.

Contractors with the county will work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with several crews throughout the collection area.
In the county, residents should follow these guidelines to ensure collection:

Residents should have visual inspections of damage and debris completed before disposal. Residents are not required to call the county to request a curbside pickup, but storm-related debris must be sorted as follows:

• Yard waste (trees, limbs, brush, etc.) does not need to be bundled and should be placed at the curb. Leaves should be in a container or bagged for collection.
• White goods (appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers) should be emptied before being placed at the curb. Spoiled contents should be placed in the garbage for pickup.
• Construction and debris (C&D) materials such as metal awnings, roofing, drywall, carpet and lumber, should be in a separate pile.

Household garbage (trash, cups, food scraps, etc.) should be disposed of as usual. Garbage will be collected by haulers on a normal schedule. Yard waste collections will be suspended until the vegetative storm debris has been collected.

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If residents choose to dispose of sandbags, they should be placed alongside household garbage and they will be removed when normal garbage collection resumes next week. Sandbags should not go in with the yard waste and other storm debris.

As a last resort, residents may take storm debris to the Lena Road Landfill where disposal will be subject to standard tipping fee rates which are available at www.mymanatee.org/utilities. Manatee County residents with debris-related questions should visit www.mymanatee.org/garbage or call Manatee County Utilities Customer Service at (941) 792-8811.

In the city of Bradenton, debris management and monitoring contractors are beginning the Storm Debris cleanup process.

Debris pickup is expected to begin the week of Sept. 25 after the monitoring contractor is set up. Residents are asked not to mix vegetation debris with construction mate­rial debris and to make separate piles for pick up.

The contractor will make two trips through the city. If someone is missed on the first trip, there will be a second pick up later. Residents are asked to pile yard debris in the right-of–way area and not in the street travel way. The contractor will not enter private property to pick up debris.

Vegetation / Limbs: These items will be picked up in one trip through the city, after standard household trash. Limbs/branches are to be no longer than 6 feet in length and tied together for ease of loading. Other vegetation unable to be bound should be bagged in heavy-duty garbage bags and placed curbside.

White Goods: White goods (including refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, ranges, washing machines, clothes dryers, etc.) must be separated from other debris such as construction, demolition, and vegetative debris.

Household Hazardous Waste: Hazardous materials (including gasoline cans, aerosol spray cans, paint, lawn chemicals, batteries, fire extinguishers, fluorescent lamps, household electronics, etc.) must not be incorporated with any other types of debris. They should be contained within a receptacle that will prevent any leakage or accidental access by children and animals, and placed curbside and apart from all other debris. County officials advise that these items should not be placed in the flow of water due to possible contaminants and danger to personnel.

Furniture: Damaged furniture in need of disposal should be placed curbside separate from all other debris.