Contractor issues that caused trash backup at county convenience centers fixed
Issues with the contractor that hauls waste and recyclable materials from Beaufort County convenience centers led to full containers at some of the county's most-trafficked locations, but those issues have been fixed before the centers reopen for business Thursday.
The trash backup briefly led to some being unable to drop off materials at the convenience centers, but those issues have been corrected, Beaufort County solid waste manager Jim Minor told county leadership in an email Wednesday afternoon.
County officials had been working to rectify the issues with Waste Management after the full bins issue popped up recently, deputy county administrator Josh Gruber said.
Convenience centers with the highest volumes, such as the center in Bluffton on Simmonsville Road and the one on Hilton Head Island have seen the most problems, he said.
Some county residents had reported they were turned away at the convenience centers in recent days because the bins used to collect materials were full.
Minor said Waste Management provided manpower Wednesday, when the centers are normally closed, to clean up a convenience center on Hilton Head and remove material from it. He also said a cardboard compactor motor at the Hilton Head center had burned out and needed replacement, which was received and installed Wednesday.
County staff did most of the clean up at the Simmonsville Road site Tuesday, Minor said.
Minor said the centers will be operational when they open Thursday morning.
The county hadn't received a specific answer on what caused the delays swapping out full bins with empty ones, Gruber said.
In Minor's email later Wednesday afternoon, he said a Waste Management official told him the problem was caused by a shortage of drivers which was being addressed.
Waste Management also sent the county an official statement Wednesday apologizing for the delays in service and said they had taken the necessary steps to correct the situation.
Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.
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This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Contractor issues that caused trash backup at county convenience centers fixed."