State Officials Announce Plan For Disposal Of Flooded Mobile Homes
From the State House:
A group of top state officials announced today that they have a plan to remove and dispose of mobile homes that were ruined by flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.
Lt. Governor Phil Scott and Lawrence Miller, Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, have been talking with private-sector partners for the last several days to nail down the framework for the plan, which they say offers a quick, responsible and affordable solution to a problem facing nearly 150 mobile home owners in more than a dozen parks around the state.
Under this plan, the total disposal cost for each individual mobile home owner will be $1,500. Typical disposal costs can run upwards of $3,500, particularly for older units. The group secured this reduced cost by requesting bulk pricing proposals from Vermont contracting firms on demolition, sorting, recycling and hauling of the mobile homes, and working with the solid waste districts to reduce or waive tipping fees.
Since 70 of the state’s damaged mobile homes sit in Weston’s Mobile Home Park in Berlin, that facility will be the first site for the project. The group will then repeat the process at other parks around the state. The team is currently working on contacting mobile home owners at Weston’s and doing the pre-construction legwork that could allow demolition to move forward as early as the week of October 3.
Secretary Miller said that although this solution ended up being much more affordable than what individual homeowners might be able to work out on their own, the most important part of the plan is that it offers a rapid response. “By mobilizing teams to go into each park as a whole, we’ve created an economy of scale. Yes, we’re saving people money, but we’re also addressing another need that’s almost more significant: helping Vermonters get back into their homes and move on to the next step of their lives.”
“Right now, residents of Weston’s and other mobile home parks are seeking answers,” said Lt. Gov. Scott. “We are working with the Shumlin Administration, with our Congressional delegation, and with FEMA to continue to come up with creative ways, such as this one, to assist Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. With winter coming in just a few short weeks, we hope to leave no stone unturned, and to do everything we can to speed up the process.”
I was the estimator / salesman for All Metals Recycling, the company that will be doing many of the mobile home demolitions. Through my efforts of calling Senator Leahy’s Office, Vermont Emergency Management & Vermont Department Highway Right of Way the idea of using one company to provide economy of scale in a tight grid was brought to light. It was determined that if the trailer parks were declared hazardous waste sites that federal money could be used to demolish and dispose of private property.
As soon as the AMR was given the green light on this contract I was let go on “good terms”. The owners told me that they could not keep up with all of the work that I was bringing in.