The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has awarded a contract for debris removal in eastern Kentucky to a company also removing debris from the tornadoes in western Kentucky.
AshBritt was awarded the debris removal contract on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear said during his Thursday press conference.
Assigning a contractor to remove debris is a “big step,” Beshear said.
“Kick-off meeting will be held today, debris monitoring company ER Assist has been notified to mobilize and we now even have 17 approved sites for the debris to be taken to,” Beshear said on Thursday.
“You have to have the contract, and they’re going to have a number of subcontractors, and you have to have the places to take it to. … Once this gets fully ramped up you will see debris removed at a rapid pace.”
Hopkins County Judge Executive Jack Whitfield has been working with the company and others in his western Kentucky county, and he said they have been good to work with during the tornado clean-up.
Whitfield is in eastern Kentucky delivering supplies and offering advice to other local leaders about best practices he learned after the tornadoes in western Kentucky that can be applied to the flooding clean-up happening now in eastern Kentucky.
Beshear said the contracts being awarded and sites for debris removal will make an “enormous difference.”
