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Garbage Piling Up in Putnam County

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Posted: 9:32 AM Jul 18, 2008
Last Updated: 9:32 AM Jul 18, 2008
Reporter: Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com

26 comments

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HURRICANE, W.Va. (AP) - Trash has been piling up in Putnam County because a garbage collection business has gotten behind in its service.

State Public Service Commission spokeswoman Sarah Robinson says the commission has gotten several complaints this week from residents about trash piling up in neighborhoods served by Cummings Collection.

And Robinson says the commission received similar complaints about the company in June.

Cummings Collection has more than 14,000 customers, most of whom are in Putnam County, northwest of Charleston.

Company co-owner Betty Cummings says they're behind because the company has had mechanical problems and difficulties keeping workers on the job.

Robinson says the PSC is working with the company to set up a schedule to get them caught up.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Free INFO. on Jul 22, 2008 at 10:27 AM
2nd Wednesday of every month is Free Dump day at the Landfills. Take in your HOUSEHOLD trash in bags, 1 level pick up load. No trailers accepted for the free day. Hope this helps some of you

Posted by: Me on Jul 22, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Did you all know there is 2 Landfills in Hurricane? Allied Waste and Waste Management. They are maybe 500 yards apart. I feel sorry for some of the Cummings drivers as they are not being treated right. It's not their fault Bob and Betty and Earnset don't buy NEW trucks for them to work in. But wait They did buy them BARND new personal vechiles last year. They bought new trucks for the rock yard. Yes PSC needs to do something. But I think PSC is covering the butts for them.

Posted by: anonymous on Jul 21, 2008 at 09:00 PM
my husband is an employee of cummings and is not "rude" or "lazy" as others seem to think. all the drivers do multiple routes each day and they do so in trucks with NO AIR CONDITIONER!!!! did anyone ever stop to think that maybe they can't keep people because they don't want to pay the drivers enough? or maybe it's because the payroll checks bounce too! what would everyone do if ALL the drivers walked out because of that? late is better than not at all. i agree it's wrong, but you can't blame it all on the drivers! and as for the ones whose neighbors' trash gets picked up and theirs doesn't - maybe you should get up earlier or set it out the night before. obviously they were there and you just missed them.

Posted by: disgusted on Jul 21, 2008 at 06:26 PM
i live right beside cummings and i still have my garbage sitting on the roadside 10 days after pick up is due. i am getting disgusted with the odor from the can and from my garage where i have to store garbage to keep critters out of it. i never know when they are going to run, so its a hope and a prayer that i catch them and can get my garbage out in time for them to pick it all up. i am thinking that the monopoly on garbage services and phone services needs broken up. maybe that will get us the service we pay for and we wont end up with a serious health issue due to cummings laziness. they have dump trucks that are new... why cant they use those to pick up the garbage? maybe cummings needs the garbage put on thier business site so that they will have to get rid of it or wallow in it???

Posted by: IDEA on Jul 21, 2008 at 02:00 AM
Why not just leave your trash in front of their business or home? Are these the same people that own that gravel yard? You could leave it there to.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 19, 2008 at 11:50 PM
the cummings are a joke. everyone of them are

Posted by: I Did on Jul 19, 2008 at 07:47 PM
I prorated my bill for none pick up and turned my ccans in.. I will take mine to the landfill from now on

Posted by: Da trash man on Jul 19, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Take your trash to there office and set it right in front of the office door then send them the gas bill.

Posted by: Garbage Man on Jul 19, 2008 at 08:24 AM
I work for a local city's sanitation department, and noticed that Cummings was dumping at "Big Run Landfill" in Coalton,KY where we dump, but I haven't noticed any of their trucks dumping here in a couple of weeks. Possibly they owe this landfill money also? As for the billing issue, I would divide the amount you all have to pay per month by the number of weeks in said month, and then multiply this figure by the number of pick ups you received. i.e. $18.00 per month divided by 4 weeks in a month = $4.50 per week, times 2 pickups = $9.00

Posted by: Marcus on Jul 19, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses... This company need to let Waste Management take over and this will come to a end.

Posted by: Taylor on Jul 19, 2008 at 01:00 AM
I fully agree to some previous comments. How long is the PSC going to let this go on. They knew when they let the "rented" trucks go that they were going to fall behind again.They provide a very important service and to FALL BEHIND is completely unacceptable. Can the PSC force them to reduce our bills? How unfair to pay a bill that your not receiving the service for! It is time to bring another provider to the area and give the people of Putnam county a choice!

Posted by: Amy on Jul 18, 2008 at 10:38 PM
To Tim A, I am happy you only had to wait two days. We have been waiting over a week for them to pick up our recycling. Our trash is usually 3-4 days late. They need to try a little harder to fix this problem.

Posted by: Tired of Trash on Jul 18, 2008 at 05:45 PM
I agree they need a break ...not the business but the employees. I tried to get two trash cans when our area switched to the green cans but was told how wonderful their recycling program was and I would get an additional can with no charge. My recyclables along with my neighbors have sat out for a week now. Today is trash day and our trash is still sitting outside at 5:45 PM. This has gone on to long and if they can't get the employees or equipment to do it I'm sure someone else can. I will absolutely refuse to pay my full bill. I would rather haul my own trash to the dump then to pay one again for services I didn't receive!

Posted by: Sambo on Jul 18, 2008 at 04:50 PM
I agree with Richard. If the one vendor is the only option, then service will not get any better.

Posted by: Concerned on Jul 18, 2008 at 03:31 PM
please PSC do something! cummings excuses are just that, excuses! they have done nothing to improve anything they only blame everyone else.

Posted by: davevannatter@yahoo.com on Jul 18, 2008 at 03:30 PM
People need to call them and get a refund on the weeks that they missed I did. And it worked.

Posted by: Fed up on Jul 18, 2008 at 03:15 PM
2 weeks ago they didnt empty my trash at all but got the neighbors. I called and the receptionist promised to call out a flat bed to come pick my trash up and I never heard a word from them. I called back the next day - same thing. Took down my information and just never showed up. It is not the consumers problem that they cannot keep up. They do not give us a break on our bills so why should we be patient ..over and over and over again with them. Maybe they should sell some of that monster house or property they own to get a truck that runs!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 18, 2008 at 01:39 PM
Maybe someone should call and complain to them-oh wait, I have and they pacify you with a lie about how soon they'll be there or call out for someone and that never happens

Posted by: anonymous on Jul 18, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Loyalty to Cummings is out! Someone please start a new trash pick up service! Enough is enough with this!

Posted by: kaye on Jul 18, 2008 at 01:17 PM
This is absurd! Cummings is horrible yet its a monopoly and there are no alternatives! Do you think they have breaks in the monthly bills that should have 4 trash pick ups and they only come 2 times, maybe

Posted by: Tonya on Jul 18, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I understand every company has problems but they expect me to pay my bill each month. Are they going to take off 2 weeks of my monthly bill for my trash not being picked up?

Posted by: cw on Jul 18, 2008 at 11:46 AM
doesn't stop them from billing their customers.

Posted by: Tim A on Jul 18, 2008 at 11:23 AM
I live in putnam county and utilize Cummings. They are good people working through difficult times. My trash this week was delayed by 2-days, but they picked it up. Give em a break and bare with them folks. They are trying..

Posted by: Shelly on Jul 18, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Gee, I wonder if the pickup delays have anything to do with the fact that the Sycamore Landfill won't even let Cummings trucks in the gate without cash upfront, due to the thousands of dollars owed to the landfill by Cummings. I bet things get worse before they improve!

Posted by: Richard on Jul 18, 2008 at 09:54 AM
This company is getting what has been coming to them because as a local business they are and have been very difficult to deal with and if this county would get some other options ,they would have a lot less to take care of,this is payback to them for all the rude employee and a rude customer service, we need a new trash company in county

Posted by: anon on Jul 18, 2008 at 09:42 AM
there is no excuse for this, they have had ample time to correct the truck and employee issues while their customers are paying just short of $20 a month to have their trash sit in their bins for over a week on 90 degree plus days.....the psc needs to hold them accountable for the service they are charging for but not delivering

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