Louisville, KY -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working under the direction of FEMA in support of the state and local government to assist with debris removal and cleanup operations in Graves County, Kentucky in response to severe weather and tornadoes which caused widespread devastation Dec. 10-11, 2021.
Right of way debris removal operations began on Dec. 23 and are anticipated to last for approximately four months. It is estimated that approximately two million cubic yards of debris will need to be removed in Graves County. USACE is working alongside the City of Mayfield, Graves County, Commonwealth of Kentucky, FEMA and industry partners to ensure safe, efficient debris removal operations.
To expedite the debris removal process, residents should follow these guidelines:
- Debris should be sorted into 5 categories:
- vegetative debris (tree branches, logs, leaves, plants)
- hazardous waste (oil, batteries, paint, cleaning supplies, compressed gas)
- electronics (TV’s, computers, phones, DVDs)
- construction debris (building materials, drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture, plumbing)
- large appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, air conditioners, stoves, water heaters, dishwashers)
- Place debris only in the right of way (within 15 feet of the curb or edge of the street). Do not place debris on or near utility boxes, water meter covers, near trees, poles, fire hydrants, or other structures. Please do not place debris in the roadway. If your insurance company is coordinating debris removal from your property, follow their instructions.
- The contractor, DRC, will not respond to requests for debris removal, those requests should be made directly to city and county officials.
- Bagged debris and residential trash is ineligible for pickup. The City of Mayfield and the Mayfield-Graves County Regional Emergency Operations Center have arranged for the placement of dumpsters to collect household trash. To learn more, visit the Graves County Office of Emergency Management Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/Graves-County-Office-of-Emergency-Management-203302559749060/
USACE has contracted with DRC Emergency Services to conduct debris removal and cleanup operations in Graves County. Local contractors interested in sub-contracting to DRC to assist with the response effort should contact:
Kristy Fuentes, Vice President of Administration and Compliance, DRC Emergency Services at: (888) 721-4372 or by e-mail: kfuentes@drcusa.com.
For the latest updates visit: www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/KY-Tornado or follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/louisvilleusace.
Release no. 21-062