Debris Piles Onto Mounting Resident Frustration

Renae Peita lives on Kentucky Street and says she has not seen a single garbage truck roll down her block since Superstorm Sandy ravaged Long Beach Oct. 29.

Glass, nails, furniture and other garbage is clogging her sidewalks and roadway, Peita said.

"The debris from people's homes is making our street almost impassable," she wrote on the Long Beach Patch Facebook page. "It is both a health and a safety concern."

Slowed sanitation pickup within the city has several residents concerned about public safety.

According to the Citizens for Long Beach NY Facebook page, "sanitation has clearly not been actively picked up on many small streets like New Hampshire Street, Florida, Indiana."

Mercy McQuade said that there has been no garbage pick since the storm at Magnolia Boulevard between Park Avenue and the Rec Center either.

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However, Gordon Tepper, director of communication for the City of Long Beach, contends that garbage has been picked up everywhere at least once since the storm.

"The mandatory evacuation order remains in effect, and residents should not be here putting out garbage," he added. "We are bringing out every truck possible from across the region to assist in our cleanup efforts."

The city is not responsible for, or able to, take construction and demolition debris material.

"This includes wall boards, flooring, moldings, carpets, drywall, and paneling," Tepper said. "Those items are covered by homeowner's insurance."

According to daily updates provided by the city, "Crews are picking up debris, bagged and bulk items 7 days a week; leave trash at curb."