Greene County Debris Removal Update

First posted on 02-04-2007

Contractors from DRC Emergency Services, LLC, began removing ice storm debris from roadsides in unincorporated Greene County Monday. Now that debris removal has begun, county officials better understand the process and we hope information in this statement will help answer many of the questions we’ve been receiving.

Debris removal crews will make at least two passes down every Greene County roadway. The first pass began Monday and will continue for about three weeks. If you missed the first pass, don’t worry: the contractors will be back after about three weeks to pick up your debris. Crews are working throughout the entire county. If you want to know when debris will be removed from your neighborhood, the answer is, sometime within the next three weeks — Greene County is not able to provide specific schedules. Debris removal will continue in unincorporated Greene County for the next 60 days.

Greene County has previously announced that storm debris will be removed only from lots measuring 2 acres or smaller, or from lots in the Urban Service Area, the 1- to 2-mile band around Springfield where development is denser than in the rest of the county. The 2-acre limit is only a guideline, based on the fact that residents living on less than two acres typically do not have room to safely burn their own debris. The 2-acre limit is not a hard and fast rule, and we realize there will be many special cases and exceptions to it. Regardless of the size of your property, all debris piled on or next to county right-of-way will be picked up.

To be picked up by county contractors, debris must be piled on or right next to county right-of-way. That’s the strip of land between the county road and your property line. County contractors may not collect debris from state highway rights-of-way. Contractor vehicles may not enter private property, and therefore, debris piled away from the right-of-way, like in back yards, will not be collected.

Stack your debris as close to roadways as is safely possible while not obstructing traffic visibility. If there is a fence, debris must be on the side closest to the road. DO NOT BLOCK sidewalks, drainage ditches, utility poles, fire hydrants or driveways.

DRC will only collect vegetative storm debris. Garbage, lawn clippings, construction debris, etc. will not be collected and must be kept separate. Storm debris will be hauled to two rural Greene County sites leased by DRC, where debris will be burned.

Greene County is asking residents living on 2 acres or more to burn their debris on their own property, if they can do it safely. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has waived a permit requirement for open burning until Feb. 15. If you plan to burn, please follow these safety rules:

Only residents of unincorporated Greene County may burn debris. Open burning is not allowed within city limits.
Never burn within 200 yards (600 feet) of an occupied structure.
Notify your local fire department before burning.
Use extreme caution and common sense while burning. Never leave a fire unattended.
If you live on a lot larger than 2 acres and it’s not safe to burn, go ahead and move your debris to the right-of-way. Again, regardless of the size of your property, all debris piled on or next to county right-of-way will be picked up.

Greene County is providing storm debris removal as a free service to its residents, but the expense to the county is significant. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) may reimburse the county for up to 85 percent of the anticipated $13 million debris removal bill. That leaves nearly $2 million that must be covered by Greene County taxpayer funds. The county asks residents to help keep that cost from growing larger by keeping the amount of debris contractors must collect to a minimum. If you live on 2 acres or more and can safely burn debris on your own property, please do so.

Greene County is still working to establish several debris drop-off sites for the convenience of its residents. At this time, residents of the area immediately surrounding Springfield may haul debris to the Springfield Sanitary Landfill, nine miles north of Interstate 44 on Missouri 13. Residents of the Ash Grove and Walnut Grove areas may haul debris to a site at Phenix Quarry, near Farm Roads 43 and 44. When weather permits and safe road access can be assured, additional drop-off sites will be announced.

For information regarding debris removal inside Springfield city limits, please call 864-1400. For information regarding debris in another city in Greene County, call that city’s government offices. For information regarding debris removal in unincorporated Greene County, call 869-6040.