State environmental officials visited Harnett County this week to tour a temporary storm debris site that was opened to help local residents clean up after Hurricane Matthew. Under the direction of Governor Pat McCrory, the state environmental department has activated more than 60 temporary debris sites for use in eastern North Carolina to collect yard waste, land clearing or demolition debris from the storm.
“The flood waters are receding, but the recovery has just begun,” said Donald R. van der Vaart, secretary of the state environmental department. “The McCrory administrations’ first priority is to find homes for families who lost theirs. Now that the flood waters have receded, we can also focus on cleanup by making sure people can get rid of storm debris in a way that protects the environment.”
More than two tons of debris have already been brought to the site in Dunn. Temporary debris sites are critical after any major storm to accelerate the cleanup process. These sites allow the organic debris to be reused when possible, such as grinding it up for mulch, and saves the landfills from being filled with material that can be recycled.
Secretary van der Vaart speaks with local officials at a debris removal site in Dunn.
Dump trucks haul loads of organic debris to the temporary storage site.