UNC's Cleanup Efforts Could Total $350,000

The ice storm that hit Chapel Hill in December has left a nasty -- and costly -- path of destruction that many, including campus cleanup crews, will continue to deal with in the coming months.

"There's quite a bit left," said Kirk Pelland, the University's grounds director. "We'll be working into February."

Soon after the storm hit, workers made it a priority to make campus navigable by the time students returned, Pelland said. While he said the most difficult task has been accomplished, a return to normalcy, at least in terms of landscaping, is far from sight.

Right now, the University is in the midst of tedious refurbishment. Limbs still are piled in many parts of campus, and some trees still need attention, whether it is in the form of standard repairs or in keeping them from falling. New shrubs and trees still have to be planted in place of removed ones.

So far, workers have hauled off nearly 400 dump truck loads of limbs to be mulched at a site off campus. "As soon as (the storm) hit, we knew it would be bad, but not this bad," Pelland said.

The ordeal has proven both time-consuming and expensive for the University. Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus services, said current estimates indicate that it could cost UNC up to $350,000 to clean up the campus.

Almost half of that figure already was in the school's budget, but the rest -- around $178,000 -- still is needed to finish the job. "We're not anywhere near done yet," Elfland said.

Elfland said that UNC is exploring several options for securing funds for the unbudgeted money but that it has yet to finalize a plan. UNC has spent about $127,000 on labor and other expenses.

One element that could change final costs is repair work to Davie Hall, which incurred about $40,000 worth of damage after the storm. A water coil on the building's roof broke and spilled water throughout the building.

Elfland said that the carpets have been treated with chemicals that prevent mold growth, but in the event that it doesn't work, the carpets will have to be stripped and replaced. And because asbestos underneath the carpets also would have to be removed, the project's cost could balloon before it's over.

But the federal government has come to the aid of UNC to help shoulder some of the burden. Because much of North Carolina was declared a disaster area in the wake of the storm, UNC qualifies for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Steve Kenny, UNC's director of risk management, said FEMA will reimburse the University for up to 75 percent of its total expenses after the cleanup.

He said, "The process is heavily dependent on us, when we complete all the work."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.