PRINCETON: Sandy related tree debris pretty much picked up

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   About 5,000 tons of tree debris was picked up in the township during a more than one-month collection from the remnants of Hurricane Sandy, the Princeton public works department said Thursday.
   The cleanup, including the initial response to the storm, cost the township public works department around $900,000, according to the township. The figure includes in-house manpower costs, equipment, dumping fees and hiring outside contractors to help with removing the massive amount of debris.
   The major storm, bringing heavy winds and rain, felled trees, knocked out power and brought the community to a standstill when it hit in late October. Cleanup efforts began Nov. 5 and continued into December, said Tom Crochet, assistant superintendent of public works. He called it the “biggest debris removal” in his tenure at the department.
   Cleanup substantially ended Dec. 14, although there are a couple of small piles that still need to be collected. That allowed crews to turn their attention to leaf collection, which had to be put on hold.
   Township Mayor Chad Goerner, who lauded the work of the public works department, said Thursday that the town is eligible for reimbursement from the federal government. Hard hit towns can get back 75 percent of hurricane-related costs.
   By way of comparison, he pointed how nearby Hopewell Township voted last month to borrow $2.5 million to pay for storm cleanup.
   ”On a relative basis, we’re OK,” Mr. Goerner said.
   A big piece of the expense was in hiring AshBritt Environmental, a Florida-based company that provided large dump trucks for hauling away huge pieces of tree debris. The debris was taken to a recycling center in Lawrence Township where the wood was ground up into wood chips, according to the township.
   Both the borough and the township are seeking federal reimbursement of Sandy-related expenses. A final cost total for both towns, covering all the manpower, police and other expenses they incurred responding to the storm, was not immediately available.