Be careful about what’s in your brush piles

The Village of Canastota Department of Public Works would like to remind residents to please be mindful of potentially dangerous metal or plastic when stacking brush and other yard waste at the curb.

Recently a piece of metal, seen in the photo below, was included (accidentally, we assume) in a pile of brush and ended up going through the wood chipper. The metal bar caused significant damage to the chipper blades, which had just been replaced earlier this spring. The damage has caused the chipper to be out of service while new blades were ordered and installed – at a cost of several hundred dollars to village taxpayers. It was also a potential safety hazard to both DPW employees and anyone who happened to be in the area.

So, please be extra careful when placing your brush piles at the curb. Only organic yard waste should be included in the piles and bags.

Click here for a copy of the current village brush pickup policy. Please contact the village office at (315) 697-7559 or village@canastota.com if you have any questions.

Top photo: One of the damaged blades
Bottom photo: The metal bar which caused the damage