Out-of-State Contractors Flock to Houston to Help With Harvey Debris Cleanup

Harris County including the cities of South Houston, Shoreacres and Hunters Creek Village.As of Wednesday, DRC had picked up more than 1 million cubic yards of debris for the city, according to Kurt Thormahlen, a general manager with DRC. After Harvey, Turner estimated the storm created about 8 million cubic yards of trash.On the ground, the county has 10 debris sites like the one run by McDaniel. Trucks from across Houston haul trash to the sites to avoid the long lines at waste management facilities where regular trash collecting and commercial trucks report. After loads are brought into debris sites, trucks are used to compress waste, making it easier to transport to its final destination. About 100 cubic yards of debris can be squashed to about 30 cubic yards just by running it over with a truck or excavator.In the first week since the site opened, McDaniel said trucks delivered about 250 to 300 loads a day. Since Saturday, that number jumped to more than 400 per day.Upon arrival, trucks are directed to one of the three piles that represent city and county trash. Both the city and county have contracts with DRC that will pay the contractor based on the amount of cubic yards of debris collected and dispersed. To receive FEMA compensation, the city and county employ a debris monitor in Tetra Tech, a California-based consulting and engineering company. As trucks enter the site, Tetra Tech employees stationed in towers measure the amount of debris in the truck and assign that amount to the city or county.DRC contracts for the two entities vary slightly in detail – for instance, the city reimburses trucks for tipping fees at waste management sites while the county does not – but the amount being paid per truck has been about the same, according to Blount, the county engineer. Harris County Commissioner’s Court appropriated more than $98 million to Blount for the 2017 calendar year to be used for debris clearing, removal and disposal. The city’s contract covers a five-year window from 2012 to 2017 for $98 million. Because the city has already spent more than $84 million of those funds, Turner proposed a $60 million increase in spending at the September 20 City Council meeting. Councilman Larry Green tagged the motion that day after he and Turner got into a heated argument over debris removal, but the council eventually approved the funds on Wednesday.DRC’s role in debris cleanup is strictly managerial. The company, based in Galveston, has only 65 employees and coordinates with Houston and Harris County to determine areas in need, then uses subcontracted companies and trucks to pick up debris. DRC has contracted 1,248 trucks for both the city and the county, according to Thormahlen. After Hurricane Irma landed in Florida, there were reports that Houston was having trouble attracting subcontractors because other cities could offer be... (Houston Press)