At Mayor Sylvester Turner’s request, Gov. Greg Abbott has arranged for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to allow Houston’s landfills to operate 24 hours a day to accept flood debris.
The change will allow debris collection trucks to deposit debris at temporary sites during the day and then transfer it to landfills at night. That means the trucks will be able to spend more daytime hours collecting debris in neighborhoods.
More than 300 trucks operated by the city, contractors and crews from other Texas cities are picking up debris across Houston and the number of trucks continues to grow. The collection of more than 8 million cubic yards of debris is expected to cost more than $250 million dollars, with 90 percent of the cost covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
RESIDENTS ASKED TO REPORT DEBRIS REMOVAL NEEDS THROUGH THE 311 PHONE APP OR PHONE CALLS TO 311
To assist with debris collection efforts, the City asks that citizens report storm debris collection needs to 311. The City DOES NOT use 311 call volume to prioritize storm debris removal. Residents should only make one report per address; multiple reports to 311 WILL NOT be accepted and will not speed or prioritize debris collection.