Cleanup begins at Arco Recycling dump site

Cleanup has begun at the Arco Recycling Inc. dump site in East Cleveland, Ohio, a report by cleveland.com says. The $6 million project will take months before cleanup is complete.

Kurtz Brothers, Independence, Ohio, was awarded a $1 million contract in June for this portion of the cleanup. So far, the company has removed half of the 82,000 cubic yards of concrete, bricks and blocks. The company says in the report that it can crush and reuse some of what it has removed as fill.

The health department recently issued a request for proposals for the second phase of cleanup, which includes removing 150,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition (C&D) debris. Wood, drywall, vinyl siding and carpeting were among the items found in the four-story dump.

Barry Grisez, an environmental public health supervisor, says in the report that there is no value to the C&D debris and it will be transported straight to a landfill.

The contract for the second phase will be for $4 million and will be awarded in October, the report says. The company that wins the contract will be required to remove any other waste on-site, including scrap tires and 55-gallon drums. The contract must also agree that no material will be processed on-site.

Kurtz Brothers was given 180 days to complete its phase of the cleanup. According to the report, they are ahead of schedule. The contract for the second phase will set a 270-day deadline.