Lewis County officials are looking for a trucking company or contractor that can help move flood debris to a landfill as whole-home demolition material exceeds the National Guard's current hauling role.
Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen told WAJR on September 2 that 30 homes need to be torn down or have already been demolished. The immediate obstacle is transporting material from the large debris pile near the interstate and smaller piles around the county.
The call for hauling help adds a potential path forward to the disposal problem Queen described August 31. At that time, she said asbestos testing was required before demolition material could move through the planned process and that the number of homes was outside the Guard's scope.
The county has not published a bid document, deadline, required truck capacity or landfill destination with the public appeal. Interested companies should contact the Lewis County Commission at 304-269-8200 for instructions and should not move demolition material without confirming testing, handling and disposal requirements.
This problem is separate from ordinary curbside flood-debris collection. Residents with household debris should continue following the county's pickup instructions and should not assume that a whole demolished structure can enter the same stream.
Property owners may arrange hauling on their own, but the earlier county notice did not waive asbestos testing or landfill acceptance rules. Owners should confirm requirements with the agencies handling their case before disturbing or transporting material.
The WAJR recovery report contains the new contractor appeal. The earlier demolition status came from the commissioner's August 31 notice.
Update, September 2: The county is now publicly seeking trucking or contractor capacity to move demolition debris. No procurement process or completion date was announced.
Update, September 3: Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen has issued a last-call reminder for flood-debris pickup and asks residents to use their normal trash collection for material small enough to go through that service. Her new reminder does not give a specific cutoff time. Residents with material still awaiting collection should contact the county for current instructions; this reminder does not change the separate requirements for demolition waste.
Update, September 9: Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen says she is still receiving requests for flood-debris pickup and needs the information as soon as possible. A request must include the complete street address, including the house number. Residents still working on a home should also provide an estimated completion date so crews know when the debris will be ready.
Queen warned that an incomplete address will not be added for pickup. Material small enough for normal trash service should go through regular collection instead. The September 9 last-call notice does not publish a precise closing time or a separate deadline. It also does not change the distinct testing, hauling and landfill requirements for whole-home demolition debris described earlier in this article.
Residents should use the commissioner’s current notice or contact the Lewis County Commission at 304-269-8200 to confirm how to submit the address and completion estimate. Do not place household garbage in a flood-debris pile.