Are Hurricane-Damaged Vehicles Junk Debris or a Special Kind of Debris?
Many people first reacted to the hulks of rusting vehicles as if they were debris that should be hauled off to a landfill like all the other debris covering the landscape. Carpenter (see above) pointed out, however, that damaged cars are a different kind of debris that requires special handling for five reasons. First, even an abandoned car is still considered personal property by the law, which is the reason Carpenter and his officers, along with insurance-fraud investigators, catalogued vehicle identification numbers on damaged cars in the field. (2) Second, flooded cars are a potential health hazard. Initial testing showed that New Orleans floodwaters did not contain high levels of carcinogens, like benzene. However, “many waterlogged cars still contain[ed] heavy metals and bacteria”, “specifically E. coli 0157-h7, which water experts had measured at many times the acceptable level,” noted Bob Stewart, a representative of the auto repair advocacy group called C-CAR Greenlink. (2,3)
Related Questions
- Which bylaw covers maintenance of private property and who do I contact to report a property that is neglected and has junk and debris in the yard?
- Local law/code: What is the local law/code on inoperable (junk) vehicles and property maintenance?
- JUNK VEHICLES - What can the Township do about junk vehicles sitting on private property?
