BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County’s annual spring cleanup is coming up. Lincoln County Administrator Daniel Calcote said the initiative was started by the Keep America Beautiful Organization. 

Calcote said the county has handled the clean up with different methods in previous years. He told the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors they have two options for spring clean up this year at a regularly scheduled board meeting Monday. 

The last two years, the cleanup event was held at the transfer station. In other years, the county held the cleanup day at five different locations, one in each district, but found challenges with that approach. 

Calcote explained it is easier to have one location at the dump, the junk does not have to be hauled off anywhere. The dump is limited to what it can take so workers will go through and sort what can be taken there at the dump. Spring cleanup is not the same as hazardous waste day. 

“It was originally started to encourage people to pick up litter,” Calcote said.

The day has now evolved into a day for objects not normally collected by ADSI during the week but also for items that do not fall into the hazardous waste categories. Bob Knight, who oversees the litter control, said having the event at the dump allows for a controlled environment, a central location and a fenced in secure area. 

Knight said chemicals, fuels, hospital medical waste, freon cans, butane, propane, party time air balls, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, shingles, PCVS and asbestos materials will not be accepted. Calcote said they could have a fall cleanup day and a white goods day for old washers and dryers.

“We inspect everything at the transfer station. Me and the trustees will handle everything,” Knight said. “We will start early in the morning. We will not accept tree limbs or logs like we have in the past.” 

Supervisors settled on five Saturdays with dates for the cleanup days to be determined. Electronics will be accepted this year and placed in separate bins by workers at the dump. 

 

Hazardous waste

Supervisors did ask about tire pickups. Currently, county residents can take tires to the District 2 Barn 4 days a week. A grant currently pays for the tire disposal. 

Hazardous waste day last year had a line all the way down to Brookhaven High School. It is typically a four hour event. Knight said last year was busy. The county needs to get a grant to have the waste day. 

“The manager told me there was more collected in Lincoln County than all of Hattiesburg,” Knight said. “This was the biggest cleanup they have ever seen. They couldn’t haul everything off.” 

Calcote asked Lincoln County Civic Center Director Chaston Bullock if he would have any problems with hosting the hazardous waste day at the Civic Center. Bullock said he would need to check the schedule but was fine with it. Lincoln County will need to receive the grant first before scheduling the hazardous waste day.