TUCSON, Ariz. — For decades, Brush and Bulky has been cleaning up Tucson neighborhoods; getting rid of piles of trash, old vegetation and unwanted furniture. But there are some things residents can do to help make the Brush and Bulky crews' jobs easier.
Supervisor, Jose Montijo, says there are a few main issues crews often come across.
Length of vegetation; it should be no longer than 5 feet wide, but Montijo's crews often deal with piles close to 10 feet long.
"On this one, we have over-length wood. What happens when we grab the wood, when he tries to put it in the truck, it doesn't go in there," said Montijo.
Piles close to walls; it is easier for the skid steer to pick up items a few feet away.
"We don't know what's under there, so their might be something that might push up against the wall We might take out the wall or put a hole in it," said Montijo.
Even worse, is when piles are too close to power and phone lines.
Overlaying items; this is dangerous because crews don't know what is layered inside each pile, like tanks holding liquid.
"When our skid steer picks it up, it bursts. We've also had solvents where it sprayed on one of our guys and basically it burned his pants off," said Montijo.
Another issue, when residents simply throw items over, without knowing where it's falling.
"They threw it on top of cactus, you know, you got doors on top of cactus. My guys aren't going to go in there and dig this stuff out. If you notice, on the back end over there, there's a gas line that's wrapped around the water hose. So if we try to come in here and service it, if we don't see that gas line, if we pull on the water hose, we're going to be taking that gas line," said Montijo.
What happens next? A knock on the door and a notice that tells the owner why they couldn't pick up their pile. But follow it's guidelines and Montijo says, brush and bulky is happy to pick up your unwanted items twice a year.
The city of Tucson is adding additional services to their Brush and Bulky collection program this year. Its called Brush and Bulky PLUS. Click here for services and fees.
