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GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN SCHWARTZ AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. I AM VANESSA DALE BURNS, DIRECTOR OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS (DPW). THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU
THIS EVENING. TRASH COLLECTION IS A SERVICE WHICH RESIDENTS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE COME TO TAKE FOR GRANTED. THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. IN SPITE OF A DECADE OF DISINVESTMENT IN BOTH PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT, THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS MANAGES TO COLLECT 100% OF ALL ROUTES ON SCHEDULE MOST DAYS. THE JOB IS MADE HARDER BECAUSE MOST DISTRICT RESIDENTS ARE PROVIDED ALLEY SERVICE, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE NARROW, ADDS SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS ON COLLECTION ACTIVITIES. DURING SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM EVENTS, TRASH COLLECTION MUST BE SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF STREET AND ALLEY CONDITIONS AND BECAUSE GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVERS ARE REASSIGNED TO OPERATE DISTRICT SNOWPLOWS AND SALT TRUCKS. SHIFTS ARE OFTEN 12, 14 OR 16 HOURS DEPENDING ON WEATHER CONDITIONS. WHEN STORM EVENTS CLOSE, IT TAKES A PERIOD OF TIME FOR NORMAL COLLECTION SCHEDULES TO RESUME. THIS IS THE RESULT OF BOTH MAKING UP FOR MISSED COLLECTIONS AND WEATHER RELATED CONDITIONS OF STREETS AND ALLEYS. IT IS OFTEN THE CASE IN SEVERE STORMS THAT LARGE TRASH TRUCKS CANNOT DRIVE DOWN ALLEYS TO COLLECT TRASH FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS DUE TO ACCUMULATED SNOW AND ICE. WHILE IT IS OUR PRIORITY TO PROVIDE WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES TO OUR CUSTOMERS, THE SAFETY OF OUR WORKERS, RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY IS MORE IMPORTANT. DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS, WASTE COLLECTIONS HAVE BEEN DELAYED DUE TO OBSERVANCE OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY AND FOUR WINTER STORM EVENTS ALL OCCURRING WITHIN A SMALL TIME FRAME. ALLEYS FOR MUCH OF THIS PERIOD HAVE BEEN IMPASSABLE AND FOR THE MOST PART REMAIN SO AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE, THEREFORE, BEEN ASKING RESIDENTS TO PLACE THEIR NEW HOUSEHOLD WASTE AT THE CURB FOR COLLECTION. THIS IS THE SAME REQUEST THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA DUE TO SIMILAR ALLEY CONDITIONS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT TRASH AT CURBSIDE IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS THIS WEEK. WE WILL, ONLY AS CONDITIONS PERMIT, ALSO COLLECT ACCUMULATED TRASH IN ALLEYS. IF WE GET THE FORECASTED FEBRUARY THAW TOWARD THE END OF THIS WEEK AND WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY MORE SNOW OR ICE, ALLEY COLLECTIONS WILL RESUME ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT AS A LONG TIME VISITOR AND NEW RESIDENT TO THE DISTRICT, HOW IMPRESSED I AM WITH THE TALENTS, ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SOLID WASTE ADMINISTRATION AND THE ENTIRE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. IN MY SIX MONTHS AS THE DIRECTOR, I HAVE SEEN THEM PULL TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE FALL LEAF COLLECTION AND VACUUM PROGRAM, THE WEED BLITZ, CLEAN UP BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE MILLENNIUM PARTY ON CONSTITUTION AVENUE, COLLECT CHRISTMAS TREES AND MOBILIZE FOR SEVEN WINTER STORM EVENTS, ALL THE WHILE GETTING THEIR NORMAL WORK DONE WITH OLDER EQUIPMENT. OFTEN SCHEDULES HAVE NOT BEEN MET BUT THAT HAS BEEN LARGELY DUE TO FACTORS OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL; E.G. OLDER EQUIPMENT BREAKS DOWN MORE OFTEN THAN NEW EQUIPMENT. THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THE MAYOR AS PART OF THE CLEAN CITY INITIATIVE, WE WILL BE PROCURING NEW VEHICLES AND HIRING ADDITIONAL SEASONAL WORKERS TO ASSIST IN OUR SEASONAL PROGRAMS. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITIZENS, THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF DPW WILL BE ABLE TO DO THEIR PART IN MAKING WASHINGTON, D.C. THE CLEAN CITY WE ALL WANT IT TO BE. Trash and Recycling Collection Status Comparison
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| Organization | Point of Collection | On Schedule? | Notes |
| Surrounding Jurisdictions | |||
| Arlington | Mostly front collection | Almost | No collection 1/25 and 1/26 — started collection on 1/27. Some streets still impassable. Will be on schedule for both trash and recycling by close of business Saturday. |
| Alexandria | 75% curb, 25% alley | Yes | On schedule for both trash and recycling. |
| Montgomery | Mostly front collection | Almost | Trash is 1 day late; Recycling is 1 week + 1 day late. Plans to be back on schedule by close of business Saturday |
| Prince George's | Mostly front collection | No | Trash and recycling one day late. Trash is twice a week, so should be on schedule by close of business Friday. |
| Other Cities | |||
| Baltimore | Front and alley | No | No consistent trash collections since last Tues. No alley collections (unless they are passable). Plan to be back on schedule by cob Saturday. Recycling is biweekly, so residents who were missed requested to hold until next collection. |
| Philadelphia | Front and rear driveway | Almost | Current 1 day behind. Intend to be back on schedule by COB Saturday for both trash and recycling. Attempting regular point of collection services. |
| Private Haulers in DC | |||
| Waste Management | Front and alley | No | Collections from fronts & parking lots. Most alleys are too icy — the truck slides. |
| Urban Services | Front and alley | No | Collecting from fonts and parking lots. Most alleys are too icy — the truck slides. |
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