Ice storm cleanup reaches sixth month
[projekktor id=’13385′]
Nearly six months after an ice storm crippled much of southern Ontario, cities are still dealing with the aftermath. The province has promised 190-million dollars in ice storm relief. And as the deadline to apply approaches, officials are taking inventory — and the costs are staggering.
The ice storm assistance program application process is in two parts. First, cities need to submit letters of interest by June 16 and by August 31st, they must submit all claims. Monday, the city of Hamilton voted in favour of showing interest.
These days it’s hard to remember the ice storm that had its icy grip on southern Ontario. But the province was hard hit.
Brad Clark is a ward 9 councillor in Hamilton: “Our costs in the city of Hamilton would have been $19 million approximately.
Municiplalites can only submit claims for certain things like city services, roads and forestry.
Mike Zegarac with the City of Hamilton:”That estimate was 11.3 million. The relief program will not cover the cost of trees.”
Brad Clark said: “My ward 9 is decimated. The number of trees cut down is sad — that’s going to be 8 millon, we just don’t have it.
Mike Zegarac: “We’ll report back in September with some options in terms of tree replacment program.”
Halton region is still dealing with the storm clean up. Rob Rivers is with Halton Waste Management Services: “We anticipate this will go into July or August if not longer.”
The region of Halton is now approaching 20,000 tons of brush. Space is going fast — but thats not their only concern.
It starts to go anaerobic — biodegrades and rots on its own. We need to move in any type of end products. The clean up has cost the region three million dollars.
Rob said: “This pile behind us is over a 3-4 day period — probably about 1,200 tonnes of material right here”.
The market is supersaturated with storm brush so contractors don’t want it.
Rob said: “At this time of the year we have so much, they are asking were not to send any more at this point and time.”
Nearly six months after an ice storm crippled much of southern Ontario, cities are still dealing with the aftermath. The province has promised 190-million dollars in ice storm relief. And as the deadline to apply approaches, officials are taking inventory — and the costs are staggering.
The ice storm assistance program application process is in two parts. First, cities need to submit letters of interest by June 16 and by August 31st, they must submit all claims. Monday, the city of Hamilton voted in favour of showing interest.
These days it’s hard to remember the ice storm that had its icy grip on southern Ontario. But the province was hard hit.
Brad Clark is a ward 9 councillor in Hamilton: “Our costs in the city of Hamilton would have been $19 million approximately.
Municiplalites can only submit claims for certain things like city services, roads and forestry.
Mike Zegarac with the City of Hamilton:”That estimate was 11.3 million. The relief program will not cover the cost of trees.”
Brad Clark said: “My ward 9 is decimated. The number of trees cut down is sad — that’s going to be 8 millon, we just don’t have it.
Mike Zegarac: “We’ll report back in September with some options in terms of tree replacment program.”
Halton region is still dealing with the storm clean up. Rob Rivers is with Halton Waste Management Services: “We anticipate this will go into July or August if not longer.”
The region of Halton is now approaching 20,000 tons of brush. Space is going fast — but thats not their only concern.
It starts to go anaerobic — biodegrades and rots on its own. We need to move in any type of end products. The clean up has cost the region three million dollars.
Rob said: “This pile behind us is over a 3-4 day period — probably about 1,200 tonnes of material right here”.
The market is supersaturated with storm brush so contractors don’t want it.
Rob said: “At this time of the year we have so much, they are asking were not to send any more at this point and time.”
The city of Hamilton typically spends 1 millon a year on tree planting — it will cost 8 million to replace the damaged canopies.
Halton region anticipates 500 to 600 more metric tons of tree brush in the next few months – to give perspective that what they get in a typical year.
