The regular collection of debris left by Superstorm Sandy will come to an end in the mainland portion of Brick Township Jan. 27, officials have announced.
"It has been nearly three months since Sandy devastated our community and almost as long since we began the debris removal," said Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis, in a statement.
Most of the debris left by the storm has now been removed.
"That work is nearly complete on the mainland and the cessation of this operation is significant milestone in Brick Township’s recovery," Acropolis said.
Debris collection and removal will continue in the township's barrier island neighborhoods for the time being, said Acropolis.
Residents who still have debris that was a result of the storm are being advised to have the debris at curbside by Monday, Jan. 21 to ensure that it is collected.
The collection of debris has been undertaken by contractors hired by AshBritt, Inc., a national company that specializes in disaster recovery. The company was hired under a state contract, under which Brick participated.
The township also entered into a separate contract with Arcadis, an independent monitoring company that is approved by the state, to provide debris monitoring and reporting.
So far, officials say, contractors have removed 257,683 cubic yards of debris and vegetative waste, 297 drums of hazardous waste, four tons of electronic waste, 2,357 cubic yards of sand, 1,221 trees and 3,412 pieces of white goods from the community.
"AshBritt and Arcadis did an exceptional job with the entire operation. They are well versed and experienced in disaster relief and it really did show," said Acropolis. "They are also working to make sure that Brick Township gets every penny of FEMA reimbursement that we are entitled to."
After Jan. 27, collections will still be done on a case-by-case basis on the mainland.
It will take longer to remove debris on the barrier island due to delays caused by the closure of the island and inaccessibility to properties, officials said.
