Curbside collection concludes; Pathfinder work to start soon
The City of Bartlesville disposal site for storm debris caused by the May 6 tornado will close on June 14, and the curbside collection for debris has concluded, Public Works Director Keith Henry said this week.
The disposal site, which is on City of Bartlesville-owned property located on West Highway 60 just east of the Green Country Rodeo Arena, was opened shortly after a tornado caused damage to trees and structures in several Bartlesville neighborhoods earlier this month.
Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, the disposal site is for residential Solid Waste customers only. Only vegetative debris, including trees and brush, is accepted at the site due to specific permitting by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
“We have a very large pile of debris that, per our permit through the ODEQ, must be burned in a specific way, which we will begin doing very soon,” said Henry. “It will take us a while to burn it all, so we still have quite a process to get through even after the site is closed on June 14.”
Additionally, the City’s curbside collection for vegetative and non-vegetative debris has concluded, Henry said.
“We’ve been through the heaviest-hit areas multiple times and the entire town at least once,” Henry said. “Between the curbside collection and people taking their tree limbs and other vegetative debris to the disposal site, the town is looking pretty good.”
Henry said work to reopen portions of the Pathfinder trail system will get underway soon.
“In the immediate aftermath of the storm, our priority was to clear roads of debris so emergency vehicles could get to where they needed to go,” he said. “Following that, we focused on the curbside collection to help residents clear their property of vegetative and non-vegetative debris.
“The next phase will be getting Pathfinder, which sustained substantial damage, safe enough to be reopened. Most likely, we will need to do extensive work this winter in some of those areas, but we will get things cleared enough for everyone to be safe as soon as we can.”
The following portions of the running/walking trail remain closed due to damage and safety concerns:
- Highway 75 trailhead (near Senor Salsa) west to Lee Lake
- 2.5-mile portion near Bartlesville High School from Quapaw Avenue south along the Caney River and southeast to Silver Lake Road
- Shawnee disc golf course area
For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 918.338.4130.