TEXASDISPOSALSYSTEMSRESPONDSWITHDISASTERRELIEFAFTERHURRICANEHARVEY

TEXASGULFCOAST--AfterHurricaneHarveydevastatedtheTexasGulfCoast,TexasDisposalSystemswaspreparedtorespondasoneofthemostqualifiedresourcemanagementcompaniestoservetheirfellowTexans.Withawidenetworkofresources,includingmobilizedcollectionandrollofftrucks,portablerestroomsandshowertrailers,expertiseincleanupprocessesandawillingnesstohelptheirneighbors,TDSprovidedimmediateandcontinuingdisasterrelieffortheirfellowTexans.SinceHarveyhit,TDShasbeenprovidingservicesthroughouttheGulfCoast,stretchingfromLaredotoColumbustoKaty.“BecauseTDSisanintegratedcompanywewereabletoquicklyrespondinseveralways,”saidRyanBeard,salessupervisoratTDS.“ThisisthehardestTexashaseverbeenhitandourexperienceuniquelyqualifiedusforthisreliefeffort.”Oneofthosequalificationscomeswiththeabilitytoquicklygettrucksandmanpowertostorm-rockedareassuchasRefugio,RockportandPortAransas.TDSpartneredwithgrocerychainH-E-Btoprovideshowertrailers,portablerestrooms,generators,solidwastecontainersandotherequipmenttogiveresidentsasafeplacetocleanup.“About5,000peoplehavecomethroughforhelpinoneweek,”saidOmarGarza,operationsmanageratRefugio’sH-E-Bstore.“They’velostmost,ifnotall,oftheirhomes.They’vebeenthankfulfortheopportunitytohaveaplacetogetahotshower.”GarzanotedtheimportanceofhavingH-E-Bstoresopeninaffectedcommunities,particularlyduringrebuildingefforts.AlongwithRefugio,TDShaspartneredwithsevenstoresthroughouttheGulfCoasttoprovideequipmenttohelprunreliefstations,andattimes,theabilitytorunthestore.“WithouttheTDSgenerators,wewouldn’thavethestoreopen,”Garzasaid.Beyondportablerestroomsandshowertrailers,TDSishelpinginclean-upeffortsaroundthestate.InVictoria,whereTDSoperatesacompostfacility,morethan200,000cubicyardsofspacewasclearedtoprocessdownedtreesanddamagedgreenery.Throughcomposting,TDSwasabletohelpdivertstormdebrisfromthelandfillandturnitintoabeneficialproduct.

ATDSgeneratorsitsinfrontofaH-E-BinPortLavaca.GeneratorsfromTDShelpedH-E-Bresponseteamskeepoperationsrunning.

Additionally,TDSishelpingourexistingservicedcommunitiespickupafterHarvey.TDSispartneringwithcitiessuchasColumbustoruncleanupoperationsandcollectdebrisfromfloodingandhighwinds.Havingtheabilitytoremoveandprocessdebrishasbeencriticaltostormrelief,notedDonaldWarshack,citymanagerofColumbus.“Iwouldthinkthatcleanupeffortshavebeenfantasticsofar,”Warshacksaid.“We’vebeenrunningsixrolloffcontainersaday.”Cleanupefforts,includingroutinescheduledcollectionofsolidwaste,isacriticalfunctionofreturningacommunitybacktofullstrength,accordingtodisasterreliefexperts.JenniferSchwenke,operationsmanageratTDS’Weimarfacility,praisedherstaffforfindingwaystoserviceneighborhoodsonregularroutesasquicklyaspossiblefollowingfloodingandstormdamageintheregion.“We’reTexanshelpingTexans,”Schwenkesaid.“Forsomeofthesepeople,thisisaboutbeingabletopickuptheirlivesandgetbacktosomesortofnormalcy.”Shesaidherteamshavebeenworkingovertimetocollectwasteandfindalternativeroutestogetarounddamagedroadsandbridges.Throughsocialmediachannels,TDScontinuallycommunicatedscheduleupdatesandcleanupeffortstokeepresidentsinformed.Acrossthecompany,TDShasbeenfindingwaystoserveTexasandprovidedisasterrelief.FromworkingwithschooldistrictsinWestHoustontohavingemployeesdeploywiththeNationalGuard,TDSisimpactingchangeinlocalcommunities.TDSisalsobeginningtoworkinotherdisasterareas,suchasregionsofFloridaheavilyaffectedbyHurricaneIrma.InresponsetoIrma,TDSsentfourshowertrailerstocontractorsoftheNationalGuardandAirForceinHomestead,Florida.Additionally,TDSbeganconstructionofcustomizedlaundrytrailerstobeusedasabasecampfortheFloridaNationalGuardinKeyWest.Thetrailerwascompletedwithin48hoursandsentoverthecourseofaweekendfromTexastoFlorida.ForTDS,disasterreliefandsiteservicesareacriticalbusinessunitthatshowshowTDSismorethanjustawasteprovider.Thecompanyseesopportunitytobedifferentfromtheindustrystandard,andhelpthosewhoareinneed.“Thesearecommunitiesthatwe’vebeenservingforseveralyears,”Beardsaid.“Buttoanyonewhoneedsourhelp,we’redoingeverythingwecan.”

AresidentofColumbus,Texas,looksonatTDScleanupeffortsinColumbus.TDSprovidedroll-offcontainersandsolidwastecollectionfollowingthefloodsandstrongwindsinthearea.