WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Piles of flood debris linger along the roads in Greenbrier County nearly eight weeks following the June 23 flood, and removal is taking longer than some residents expected.
Most of the debris is from houses demolished by volunteer groups following the flood, and construction debris isn’t covered in the county’s current debris removal contract, Greenbrier County Office of Emergency Services Director Al Whittaker told MetroNews Monday.
“Unfortunately, the way the rules and regulations go under the contract that I have for debris removal, the demolition of houses cannot be picked up by that,” he said. “Some of the debris may have asbestos and we have to make sure it goes to the landfill that is acceptable.”
The removal will be handled in the next phase of pickup which is currently being organized by the state and FEMA. Property owners must make application and give approval for the removal of the debris, Whittaker said.
“For us to go onto the property there are some legal issues. The first thing we need to do is have the owner of the property to call in,” he said.
The number for Greenbrier County property owners wanting demolition debris removed is 304-647-9930.
Once a property owner calls, the county’s building inspector will review the application to make sure it meets eligibility requirements then it will be sent to the state and FEMA for processing. If the property is in a municipality the application must go through those offices, Whittaker said.