FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brigitte Kantor, Lee County Solid Waste
              (239) 338-3302

COUNTY'S DEBRIS REMOVAL EFFORT PASSES THE 500,000 CUBIC YDS. MARK

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 15, 2004) - Lee County has collected more than 550,000 cubic yards of horticultural debris since the Hurricane Charley post-disaster recovery began.

As of Sep. 12 (last Sunday), Lee County had collected 554,338 cubic yards of horticultural and construction & demolition debris (load tickets run several days behind because of time needed to input them into an accounting system).

That's equivalent to filling the size of a football field 300-feet high.

For a status of what neighborhoods the county is working in, or plans to pickup, visit www.lee-county.com and click on "Debris Removal Information."

Here's today's status:

Bonita Springs Area to Corkscrew Rd. Started second pass 9/12/04

1. Completed Hickory Blvd, Bonita Bch Rd, Bonita Bay, Bonita Fairways, quail West, Hunter Ridge, worthington

2. Almost compl W Terry St,

3. Tomorro start E Terry St area, Dean Str, and all areas beween Old 41 and I 75

S Ft Myers Area (Will start second pass on Thurs or Fri this wk)

1. Will finish Briarcliff area tomorrow AM. Will start mini-second pass in Brynwood, Camelot

2. Finishing Iona area, working E & W side of Mcgregor from S Carlos to Shell Pt. Finishing Thornton area and Iona Rd area

3. Will finish all Iona area 1st pass by Thurs this week

Pine Island - Started 8/20/04

1. Finishing St. James area in Hort, still working on Sanibel Blvd, York, and 8th St. 90 % complete w/ 1st pass Hort on PI

2. Working C&D in all areas. Approx 50% done with C&D on PI. Hauled approx 10,000 cu yd C&D hauled to landfill last 4 nights

3. Picking up C&D in St James York St areas. Grinding hort

NFM Area - Started 8/26/04

1. Moody Rd area compl. Palmona Pk, Piney Area Wway Ests, Old Bridge, complete

2. Suncoast almost compl except Springwood Pk. All areas N of Bayshore, 41 to I75 are 95% compl

3. South Side of Bayshore complete out to 31

4. Grinding Hort. Will finish Trail Dairy area tomorrow, Herron Glenn done

Captiva - Started 8/26/04 Minimal work on 9/6/04

1. N of Andy R Ln compl. Completed W side and E side of Captiva Dr. Working 2nd pass.

2. Hazard trees are being felled, cut, and hauled to staging, DOT added 165 more trees. Working 2nd pass in Village

East FM - Started 8/30/04

1. Started 2nd mini pass at Morse Shore. Working Long Lake, Idlewild, River Rd. Cemetary Rd area complete

2. Completed Alabama Groves 65%, Morse Shores done, Tice area 90%. Finished Rivdale Shores

3. Riverdale E to County Line (off of 80) is done except SR 80 itself. Neil Rd, Staley, Sunkist, compl