In the coming days and weeks, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will be working to collect Typhoon Mawar related residential debris from roadsides throughout the island. This is a free program.
How do I contact USACE to pick up my debris?
There is no need to contact USACE, your mayor or any other organization for this service. Just sort your debris by type and once notified will be in your area, set the debris in the ROW beside the edge of the road. Debris teams will conduct pickup community-by-community throughout the island.
When will USACE be in my area picking up debris?
The Joint Information Center will communicate where USACE teams will be through traditional media (radio, television news) and social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter).
Is all storm debris eligible for pickup?
Not all storm or household debris will be picked up. Certain types of debris like daily household trash, tires, vehicles, boats, porcelain (toilets, tubs) electronics, and household hazardous waste (oil, batteries, pesticides, paint, cleaning supplies) are not eligible for removal. Hazardous waste materials can be taken to the Harmon transfer station for disposal at no cost.
Households will be responsible for safely disposing of ineligible debris. While having to dispose of this may cause some inconvenience, this project is not designed to handle this type of debris.
Guam officials continue to stress the importance of disposing of disaster debris properly, as illegal dumping can result in fines of up to $1,000 per day per violation along with the clean-up cost associated with the violation.
What storm related debris is eligible?
Eligible storm related debris includes vegetative debris, large appliances, construction and demolition debris and metal (cans, tin.)
Why is it important to sort my own debris?
The speed and success of the mission will depend on residents properly sorting the debris prior to contractors arriving. All storm debris must be sorted by residents into four categories (vegetative debris, large appliances, construction and demolition debris and metal) and brought to the right of way (ROW) within 10-feet of the roadside. Debris that isn’t properly sorted may be ineligible for pick-up.
How long will I have to sort my debris?
You should begin sorting your debris before USACE teams have announced they will arrive in your community. However, it is important that you do not stage your debris (set it in the ROW) prior to the announcement for your community as debris piles staged for long periods of time may attract vermin and other unwanted pests.
USACE came to my community, but they haven’t collected my debris, why?
The first phase of the clean-up process includes a USACE debris refinement team, these teams will arrive prior to pick-up to ensure each home has their disaster related debris properly sorted. Even after pick-up has begun, there may be multiple teams that collect debris from your ROW over multiple days. To make the process quick and efficient there will be separate trucks for each category of eligible debris (debris refinement, vegetative debris, large appliances, construction and demolition debris and metal.) These trucks may arrive at different times in the clean-up process.