By By ANNA M. LEE Managing Editor
With receovery from Hurricane Ivan in full swing, debris cleanup on city streets and county roads will be managed in unison by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Escambia County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director David Jennings.
Representatives from the Corps were in Brewton earlier this week to survey the damage, and local contractors will be hired to execute the cleanup efforts soon.
In the meantime, the county EMA is trying to identify sites to move the debris to as it is cleared from streets. Jennings said there are two ways to dispose of fallen trees and limbs -- burning, which is the easiest and most cost effecient method; and chipping, which requires more effort because all metal, cables, shingles and other debris must first be removed. In an effort to accomodate the local economy, Jennings said, the county will probably choose some combination of chipping and burning, in order to provide some waste to be used as fuel by the local paper mill.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay 100 percent of the county's cost to clean up debris in the streets as a result of Hurricane Ivan.
Property owners should be aware that contractors working for the Corps in this clean up effort will not be able to remove debris from private property, so everything should be moved to the right of way in order to be picked up. Those unable to move debris on their own should contact church organizations, civic groups or volunteers to help.