Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The City of Buffalo and Erie County had several locations were they dumped snow during the snow removal process during the December blizzard. Those mountains have significantly shrunk, but there are still piles significant in size that remain.
Most of these piles are covered in dirt and debris that has risen to the surface as the snow begins to melt, making these piles look less like snow, and more like dirt hills.
"The debris is just naturally picked up during the course of that lift, scoop and dump process," says Buffalo's Department of Public Works Commissioner, Nathan Marton.
"[We put] it in the large piles, and then used bulldozers and different kinds of heavy equipment to stack it up higher just from an efficiency standpoint. The debris that's in there would be debris that have just be naturally scooped up inadvertently. So soil from a lawn area that might have been dug up or a piece of sidewalk, a curb or a street sign knocked over, we'll get some of that debris."
Marton says once all the snow is melted, which he anticipated will be May and likely June for larger piles, they will begin their clean up of the debris from these piles.
Some piles will be cleared sooner than that, including the site on Fuhrmann Boulevard where a convoy of tractor trailers was dumping snow during the blizzard cleanup.
"There's heavy equipment now actually working the pile of snow and ice, they're just moving it around and opening it up to the air and the warmer temps, which we're now getting upon us. The rain, warmer temps and sun are all going to help melt that sooner."
Marton expects the waterfront site work will be completed by May 1st, so that all scheduled activities will be ready by the time they need to use that land.
The Public Works Department has also been coordinating with the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation to make sure everything is clean and managed for scheduled events to come, like Dyngus Day.
"We're trimming some of the trees and cleaning up the lawn, and we're looking at some of the sidewalk issues there. But, we're going to make sure that the Central Terminal space that is needed for that celebration is clear. Right now, where we have the snow, is not affecting anything that relates to the use of the Central Terminal. That pile will be removed," said Marton.
