JUNE 19: Republic Services cleaned up the piled-up trash in a neighborhood near Downtown Las Vegas after being contacted by 13 Action News.
We are sending a truck down to clean up those alleys.
— Republic Services (@RepublicService) June 19, 2018
Joe, we will get with the local team and have this addressed asap. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
— Republic Services (@RepublicService) June 19, 2018
Remember this? @RepublicService is on it and the trash is gone. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/IRth4g7Vc0
— Joe Bartels (@Joe_Bartels) June 19, 2018
ORIGINAL STORY
The trash is piling up in one neighborhood near downtown after Republic Services made a change in garbage pick up and neighbors apparently didn't get the message.
Contact 13 was alerted by people living near Stewart and Eastern avenues on Monday. Neighbors say the 2100 block of Stewart Avenue used to have service in the alley behind the homes, but two weeks ago the trash began piling up.
"We pull our trash out and after a while, we leave it out here. Then other people put their trash out and then we don’t have anywhere to put our trash. They don’t wanna come out, what do I gotta do?" said Linda Mack.
The piles of garbage have been ransacked by transients in the area, according to neighbors.
“Half of the people have gone through the bags here, they rip them open, looking for cans or whatever they can [find]. The homeless people [have] been doing this, they [have] been going to through the bags," explained Mack.
Neighbors say the situation has been made worse by the wind and hot weather.
“Dirty diapers, flies, feces. It’s nasty," said Mack.
Contact 13 reached out to a Republic Services spokesperson to find out why the trash has not been picked up.
The spokesperson said the established neighborhood was transitioned from a hands-on removal to a newer automated service. The spokesperson said new waste bins were provided to the residents and additional information was given to the area affected.
As for the rotting piles of garbage, Republic Services says it is a code enforcement issue and they want to stress residents must dispose of their trash in their provided bins and place them on the curb on their correct day.
Republic Services urges customers to download their "my resources" app to check trash schedules.
