Key West The Newspaper

MONROE COUNTY, FL – If you live in Key Largo, Tavernier, Conch Key, Duck Key, Layton or between Mile Marker 5 on Stock Island and Mile Marker 15 on Baypoint, you must put your hurricane debris on the County right of way (curbside) by the evening of Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 to be guaranteed free pickup.

Final sweeps of those areas begin Sunday, Oct. 29.

After the completion of the final sweeps, which will take a few days, residents in these service areas will need to make individual arrangements for the removal of all materials not collected as part of the hurricane debris collection.

In those areas, Monroe County’s Hurricane Irma debris removal contractor Ashbritt Environmental has removed 338,249 cubic yards of hurricane debris (in 10,681 truckloads) and 4,664 white goods (appliances) from County roads. The Florida Department of Transportation has removed additional debris along U.S. 1 in these areas.

No removal deadline has been set yet for the area between MM 15 and MM 40. This was the area hardest hit by Hurricane Irma and will take longer to collect all the debris. FDOT has been assisting Monroe County with debris removal, and is handling collection of debris on County roads in this area.

To date, FDOT has removed a total of 497,900 cubic yards of debris in the Keys. This includes 314,351 cubic yards that have been hauled from neighborhoods and the Overseas Highway between MM 15 and MM 40.

NOTE: Hurricane debris should not be put in plastic garbage bags. Any items in garbage bags must be separated from the hurricane debris and put in regular garbage bins for collection. Piles that contain any garbage bags will not be picked up.

Residents should follow all of these County hurricane debris removal requirements:

• Stack hurricane related debris on the county right of way (road shoulder) in front of homes. It must not block the road or driveways.
• Do not put debris on vacant lots of other property. It will not be picked up.
• Separate into five groups: vegetative debris, seaweed, household appliances, non-vegetative debris and household hazardous waste, which includes paints, cleaners, etc. (It is recommended you bring your household hazardous waste to one of the County’s three transfer stations).
• Hurricane debris needs to be separate from regular household trash. Contents of refrigerators should be thrown out in regular trash. This gets picked up by regular garbage collection.
• In the areas that have vacuum sewers in Key Largo and Tavernier, make sure not to stack debris near sewer system breathers, which are not in the right of way. In the Upper Keys they look like small concrete pillars.
• In the areas that have vacuum sewers in Key Largo and Tavernier, make sure not to stack debris near sewer system breathers, which are not in the right of way. In the Upper Keys they look like small concrete pillars.
• Debris also should be kept away from fire hydrants and utility poles.

Things that are not eligible for free pick up by hurricane debris contractor include: cars, trucks, motor homes, motor cycles, trailers, boats or other watercraft and car parts like tires.