The City of Springfield reminds residents that both the Yardwaste Recycling Center and the Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill will be open extended hours this Sunday and Monday from 8 to 5 as well as their usual Tuesday-Saturday schedule.
That’s so those impacted by the April 29 storms can drop off debris.
The city has waived fees for dropping off organic storm debris until further notice.
City spokesperson Kristen Milam said their Department of Environmental Services has been busy.
"Since the storm, we've collected approximately 20,000 cubic yards of brush," she said. "So, that's quite a bit. We're also averaging about 400 to 500 brush customers per day."
She said that’s twice the number they typically see.
There were 1,000 visitors last Saturday, according to city officials – nearly four times as many as a typical spring Saturday.
You can take limited amounts of yard waste to the Lone Pine and Franklin Avenue Recycling Centers. Those are open regular hours. If you have a lot of yard waste, you should take it to the YRC. The city quickly opened more space there after the storms to accommodate the extra demand.
Larger or commercial-scale debris, such as oversized tree trunks or root balls, can be taken to the landfill.
Volunteers are still needed – especially at the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Call Center. To sign up, visit volunteerozarks.com.
But Milam says they need help from businesses who can help with removal of large tree trunks and root balls.
"We've got quite a few large, large trees that the everyday person with the everyday equipment couldn't necessarily manage," she said. "So we're looking for any businesses that may have large trucks and the heavy equipment to help accommodate some of that as well."
If you need help cleaning up your yard, call 417-829-6200 to be matched with volunteers. The City also asks that you fill out a form at springfieldmo.gov/storm.
Milam expects cleanup to last several months.
"We've still got some time in our recovery effort for sure," she said.
