Dealing with the Debris of Hurricane Sandy: Toms River's Garbage, Leaf Pick-up

The large piles of cut-up trees and leaves sitting curbside in front of countless homes in Toms River now have a new schedule for pick-up.

Addressing Hurricane Sandy debris, Toms River is using a county contract to aid in the widespread pick-up of storm-damaged household items and branches and leaves.

Ocean County's contractor, AshBritt, will pick-up leaves under Toms River's new leaf collection schedule. The township has pared with the county, who is assuming most of the cost Toms River would have incurred, said Township Administrator Paul Shives. The township so far has passed an emergency bond ordinance for $35 million in Hurricane Sandy expenses.

"We've signed on to the county's contract, and that stopped the bleeding for us," Shives said. "We no longer have to front those costs."

The new schedule for collection, announced on the township's website, says the Department of Public Works now has the resources to provide the Fall 2012 leaf collection schedule.

The new leaf collection schedule is:

• If your recycling is collected on a Monday, leaf collection is on the week of Nov. 26.

• If your recycling is collected on a Tuesday,leaf collection is the week of Dec. 3.

• If your recycling is collected on a Wednesday, leaf collection is the week of Dec. 10.

• If your recycling is collected on a Thursday, leaf collection is the week of Dec. 17.

By Monday Nov. 26 at 6:30 a.m. all leaf bags should be outside on the curbside. Only leaves in plastic bags will be collected.

If you miss the collection of leaves on the curbside, take them to the Recycling Convenience Center, at on Church Road, east of North Bay Avenue.

Recycling Convenience Center's hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Leaves are not permitted in landfills.

Tree and Brush Removal

Tree and brush removal began Nov. 20. The most severely impacted areas will be helped first and will not include leaves.

All trees and brushes that are placed on the curbside will be collected, but limbs must not exceed more than six feet in length.

Cut up trees and brushes will be removed faster and it may take several weeks before Public Works can get to all of the homes, officials said.

If any trees are in contact with wires call JCP&L first to remove the wires before touching the trees. Contact JCP&L at www.firstenergycorp.com or call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).

Bulk Items: Carpet, Applicances, Etc.

If you are not in area flooded by Hurricane Sandy, and hope to leave out furniture or other items for curbside pick-up, it may be there for a while. Toms River is not conducting any bulk pick-up until the spring.

The township is instead asking residents unaffected by flooding to dump items themselves at the Recycling Convenience Center.

"For those residents not affected by the floods, homeowners are asked to lend a hand and take their debris to the Recycling Convenience Center," according to a recent township announcement.

There is a separate plan for residents in flooded areas: Silverton, Pelican Island, Ortley and the Northern beaches on the Barrier Island

”Homeowners from the flooded areas of Silverton, Pelican Island, Ortley and the Northern beaches on the Barrier Island can deposit carpet, appliances and debris at their curb,” said Public Works Director Lou Amoruso, in a press release from the township. “These residential areas take priority.”

According to the township, the following rules should apply for bulk items in flooded areas:

"Affected residents are advised to focus on contaminated items that were saturated with water. The Department of Public Works will get out to these neighborhoods to remove these items. For faster removal from your property, you can bring debris to the Recycling Convenience Center.

Non-storm related bulk and extra collections are temporarily suspended until all storm clean up is complete. Please use the Recycling Convenience Center during this time period.

Public Works and private contractors are methodically going through affected neighborhoods providing dumpsters and trash trucks for those areas affected by the storm. All items will be accepted.

Large timbers and pilings etc. will be collected later, after house contents have all been collected.

Place all debris curbside, but take care not to obstruct the roadway to passage of emergency and essential service vehicles and equipment.

Please do not place trash in blue recycling cans.

Public Works expects to have at least 100, 30 yd. dumpsters, and 60 trucks and equipment working throughout this cleanup effort.

All residents with the ability to bring debris to the convenience yard are urged to do so. There are no limits on the number of trips you are allowed to make at this time.

The Department of Public Works, in its announcement, says residents need to "Help us to help you."

"DPW thanks you for your support and cooperation. Please help us to help you and your neighbors during this terrible catastrophe," reads the DPW announcement. "Rest assured that we will continue to work through this to restore our community to normalcy as soon as humanly possible."

The Toms River Department of Public Works can be reached at (732) 255-1000.