Arkansans: Things to Know About Debris Removal

Little Rock, Ark. – For many Arkansans in Faulkner County affected by the April 27 tornadoes, cleanup is well underway. That means residents may have questions regarding the types of debris that can be left at the curb for collection and how to handle debris when a homeowner hires a contractor.

DEBRIS PLACED ON RIGHT OF WAY

Tornado-related debris is eligible for pickup and disposal by the county or municipality if residents place the following types of debris on the public right-of-way in front of their property for pick-up. When placing debris at the roadside, residents should be careful not to cover or impede access to utility meters or mailboxes.

Residents opting for curbside pick-up must separate debris into six (6) categories:

• Vegetative debris (tree limbs, shrubs, etc.)
• Construction/Demolition debris
• White goods (appliances, etc.)
• E-goods (TV’s, electronics)
• Household hazardous (cleaning solutions, automotive chemicals, etc.)
• Normal household garbage

DEBRIS HANDLED BY CONTRACTORS

Some homeowner’s insurance policies may cover debris removal.  Residents are reminded that if they choose to hire their own contractor, they should not place that debris on the right-of-way. The cost of debris disposal is typically included in the contractor’s estimates. Homeowners should review their insurance policies to determine if their policy covers debris removal.

Under no circumstances will reconstruction debris or demolition debris created by the property owner or the private contractor be pushed to the curb. The property owner, insurance company or contractor is responsible for removing and transporting all demolition and/or reconstruction debris to an approved designated landfill.

• Reconstruction debris includes any construction material that must be removed from the damaged structure (shingles, portions of roofs, etc.) to bring it back to pre-disaster function.
• Demolition debris includes construction material created by the physical deconstruction of the remaining portions of a disaster-damaged structure (walls, roof, flooring, slabs, outbuildings, etc.) in preparation for the construction of a new building.

OTHER THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN HIRING CONTRACTORS

• Watch out for:
  • Phone or door-to-door solicitors who promise to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building-permit process.
  • People who ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.
  • Promises of large amounts of money for disaster victims.
  •  FEMA/State disaster assistance funds are sent to applicants by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or through the U.S. mail ONLY!
  • People going door-to-door to damaged homes or phoning survivors and claiming to be building contractors or soliciting personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers; they could be frauds.

Those who suspect anyone of engaging in fraudulent activities should call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721. Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement agencies and through the Arkansas Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-482-8982.