1,628,770 Cubic Yards of Tree Debris Hauled in First 31 Days of Operation

SRS Inc., the debris-cleanup contractor hired by the City in January to remove tree debris from Tulsa streets, has hauled 1.628 million cubic yards of debris in 31 days.

That is twice the amount of debris expected in the initial damage estimates shortly after the Dec. 9-10 ice storm.  At that time, it was believed that about 800,000 cubic yards of debris would have to be hauled. It was expected then that the job would take about six weeks.          

A spokesman for the contractor said Friday that he knows some Tulsans are frustrated and want to know when their debris will be picked up, but added that the work is actually being done at a good pace considering the increased volume of debris.  The current estimates are that the debris totals three million or more cubic yards.

On Thursday crews operated 93 hauling trucks and 16 tree-trimming trucks and hauled 1,267 loads totaling 57,823 cubic yards.

Work continues in neighborhoods today and crews will work more on arterial streets over the weekend.           

The crews are still making the first pass through all Tulsa public streets. After the first pass is completed, a second will begin, followed by a third.  The beginning of the second and third passes will be announced in the media and on the City of Tulsa website.

The Mayors Action Center is getting numerous calls from residents who believe their properties were skipped during the first pass. In many locations, debris could not be removed because of obstructions – vehicles parked blocking access, structures or electrical lines or standing trees blocking access, and other reasons. The haulers and monitors are noting those sites and later efforts will be made to collect the missed debris.

“We know people are tired of looking at the debris and are eager to get it removed. It is difficult, because of the massive scope of this operation, to tell someone exactly what day or hour a crew will work on their block. But we will get all the eligible debris removed and the crews are making good progress,” said Dan Crossland, Deputy Director in Public Works, who is overseeing the removal contract.          

Anyone with questions or who believes their property was missed when haulers worked on their streets can report it to the Mayor’s Action Center at 596-2100.