There are several reasons why: First, there is a lot of it, actual mountains of it in Lake County alone. Second, harder hit areas in the state got first dibs on the limited number of haulers available. Third, the federal government is in the mix which is notorious for its process.
While the process assures federal money isn't wasted, it also adds another layer of expense and time.
Here's how it works: Lake County hires contractors to pick up storm debris. The county pays upfront and the government, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, reimburses the majority of the expense. But FEMA requires the county hire a separate contractor to monitor and document the debris pickup effort to qualify for reimbursement. The county also pays that expense upfront.
"The process is very prescribed by FEMA and we have to follow all the requirements and regulations in order to be potentially eligible, in most cases, up to 75 percent reimbursement. If we don't follow the process and all the things that go with it then the taxpayers of Lake County are liable for all the cost related to the storm debris removal," said Jeff Cole, county manager, while explaining the process during a county commission meeting on Tuesday.
The monitor's job is only to account for the debris picked up. It assures that the right type of debris gets picked up and prevents any hanky-panky with the number of loads hauled. But oversight takes time.
"It's a pretty significant process and also slows everything down a bit because there is so much record keeping and there is so much monitoring," Cole said. "If it wasn't for that, the process would be significantly faster."
The county refused to estimate how long it would take to remove all the debris. It could take months based on estimates from nearby counties.
But reimbursement is a priority because debris removal is expensive. Officials did not have an estimate on the cost of the Irma cleanup, but Cole did say Lake County spent $21 million to remove debris after two hurricanes affected the area in 2004. Irma produced much more debris.
Logistics also hampered pickup locally. Haulers went en masse to South Florida and are now starting to trickle back toward the less affected areas of the state.
"Local governments are having difficulty ramping up to the volume we would all like to ramp up," Cole said.
Things are getting better and by the end of this week, the county expects 27 trucks hauling debris. That is close to the 30 to 50 trucks recommended.
County trucks are also hauling debris, including some flatbed trucks rigged with plywood sides. Trustees from the Lake County Jail also are helping.
The amount of debris is staggering. The county estimates 350,000 cubic yards of debris due to the hurricane. About 300,000 cubic yards are trees and branches.
"To put it in context, 350,000 cubic yards would fill a professional football field about 175-feet high. So you can imagine the amount of volume that is," Cole said. "We just ask for patience and want to make sure everyone understands this is going to take some time."
Commissioner Sean Parks, who represents District 2, asked if the county could post a map of where pick up is complete.
Cole said it was possible, but it would take several passes through the county before the debris is clear from all areas.
Leslie Campione, District 4 commissioner, supported a daily update of scheduled pickup areas and updates on the volume of debris collected.
"I think it would give people hope that it will get picked up because right now it does not feel that way," Campione said.
On Tuesday, the commission unanimously agreed to allow the county to remove storm debris from private roads and also agreed to allow the county manager to contract more debris haulers for the effort if needed.
Residents who don't want to wait can drop off storm debris for free at the landfill at 13130 County Landfill Road, Tavares from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Five convenience centers also accept storm debris at no charge and are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The centers are located at 200 Jackson St., Lady Lake; 54711 Astor Transfer Station Road, Astor; 25014 Rancho Lane, Paisely; 10435 Log House Road, Clermont; and 32520 W. State Road 44, Deland.
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