Collier County manager: Debris cleanup to take 4-6 months

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. It’ll take about four to six months to clear all Hurricane Irma debris from Collier County, County Manager Leo Ochs said.

Ochs joined U.S. Rep Francis Rooney and State Rep. Bob Rommel on Wednesday in a tour of a debris collection site on the 500 block of Wiggins Pass Road North Naples.

“There’s just only so many trucks that can move to so many debris sites at once,” Rooney said. “I’m sure that the county officials have got contractors deployed at every possible place. But it’s just going to take some time.”

The county has four times as much debris as it did after Hurricane Irma in 2005. That’s led to concern about fire hazards and health problems stemming from decaying vegetation.

“We’ll keep advising people on how to avoid some of these things, a way to mitigate and remediate against some of those kinds of potential dangers,” Ochs said. “But at the end of the day, it’s just hard work, staying at it every day, sunup to sundown, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Ashbritt Inc., the county’s debris collection contractor, began residential pickups Friday, but residents who can haul their own debris are encouraged to take it to the following sites:

Immokalee Transfer Station, 700 Stockade Road, Immokalee

Hours of operation: Monday – Saturday at 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Naples Airport Site #7, 200 Patriot Way, Naples

Hours of operation: Monday – Sunday at 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Stan’s Parking Lot, 221 Goodland Drive E, Goodland

Hours of operation: Monday – Sunday at 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

In Lee County, some 63,000 cubic yards of debris have been picked up in the first 10 days of collection, but 2,436 miles of roads have debris still to be removed, county spokeswoman Betsy Clayton said.

Lee County officials anticipate their first pass of debris collection will be completed within a month, she said.

Below are links to information on debris pickup around Southwest Florida:

WINK News livestreamed a press briefing from Rooney, Ochs and Rommel on Facebook:

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