39 Tons Of Waste From Tropical Storm Ida Collected In Norwalk

NORWALK, CT — The city collected about 39 tons of waste and five tons of metal during a special Tropical Storm Ida "flood damage" bulky collection last month in Norwalk.

Anthony Carr, the city's chief of operations and public works, said during an Oct. 5 meeting of the Common Council's Public Works Committee the waste was collected from about 260 pickup points in Norwalk between Sept. 15 and 16.

Carr said 12 drivers, 12 laborers and two operators, a total of 26 staff members, were deployed throughout the city for the special collection.

"That doesn't include managerial staff...so we had upwards of 30 people assigned to this event," Carr said.

He also acknowledged some other municipalities performing similar special pickups collected construction debris such as toilets, sheetrock and concrete, however Norwalk did not for "a multitude of reasons," including permit restrictions from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Items eligible for collection included mattresses, rolled rugs/carpets, outdoor chairs, children's toys, furniture such as couches, chairs and bookcases, and metal appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, according to the city website.

Yard waste, tires, propane tanks, electronics and freon appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators and dehumidifiers were among items not accepted.

Residents of the Sixth Taxing District were not eligible for special bulky collection since they receive year-round collection through their waste management vendor.

"We did what we could, I think, to alleviate some stress and frustration experienced by a lot of the residents and those who experienced flooding," Carr said. "Hopefully this was at least a small token to get them through tough times. There is something nice being said when you can put something to the curb and not have to worry about it and it goes away when you walk out the next morning for work or look out the next morning when you're having coffee."

Council member George Tsiranides thanked everyone involved for implementing the special bulky collection pickup as quickly as they did. Carr also thanked staff members for their hard work.

"We look forward to, not storm damage collections," Carr said, "but other initiatives...in the future."