Piles of construction debris line some Raleigh streets

Trucks are making three sweeps through Raleigh to pick up tree limbs, stumps and vegetation. The city will not collect construction debris like siding, shingles, plywood, drywall and insulation.

Piles of construction debris line Marathon Lane in northeast Raleigh.

"Everybody has a pile," says Deloris Johnson, whose home was damaged in the April 16 tornado.

She said she and her neighbors thought the city crews would eventually pick up the debris, but contractors' trucks drove past stacks of splintered siding Thursday to grab piles of tree limbs.

"From what I understand, the city does not have a permitted landfill to be able to handle construction debris," said Chris McGee, superintendent of Raleigh's Street Maintenance Division. "Then, you start getting into stuff like asbestos and other bad stuff. We're just not equipped to deal with it."

George Kephart, of Alliance Construction and Restoration, brought a flatbed trailer through the neighborhood and picked up some of the siding to haul it away, free of charge.

"We do what we can, you know. If we can help, we can help," Kephart said.

Some homeowners insurance policies will pay for debris removal if a home was damaged.

Raleigh residents can haul their construction debris to any of 11 disposal sites in Wake County:

Another option for residents is to get a group together to rent a Dumpster for about $200. The rental company would then pay to dispose of the debris at a site that accepts such waste.

Wake County will pick up building debris for residents outside the city limits as long as it's in a separate pile from the tree debris.