Galveston County hosted its annual Bayshore area Heavy Trash Days on June 21st and June 22nd. This event was started in 2012 by the Commissioners Court in an effort to help prepare the unincorporated communities along Galveston Bay for hurricane season. The goal is to provide a free and convenient event that allows people to dispose of unwanted debris and material that would otherwise be a hazard during a storm.

Each year the event has grown and more citizens have participated. As word has spread, citizens throughout the county have started to participate, not just those in the Bayshore area.

County Commissioner Darrell Apffel, who represents the Bayshore area, commented on the support from the community, “I know that since I’ve been in office the people use it tremendously. We have a line out the gate at 7:30am in the morning, ready for the people to come in.”

It takes a collaborative effort on the county’s behalf to host such a large event. Numerous departments participate, including the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, parks department, road and bridge department, and the nuisance abatement office.

County Judge Mark Henry said before the event, “This is one of the better examples of the Commissioners Court working together, getting something like this done.”

This sentiment was echoed by Commissioner Apffel who commended the county staff for their work saying, “Everyone comes together so we can get this accomplished.”

The amount of material collected this year confirms the need for these types of events. Over one and half days, Galveston County collected 45+ roll-off dumpsters of construction and miscellaneous debris, more than 1,500 tires and created more than 1,000 lbs. of mulch from disposed brush.