BURKE, Va. — Fairfax County Supervisors voted to waive solid waste disposal fees for residents affected by a June 22 microburst.
The fee waiver applies to impacted residents using the I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill through July 29. The waiver does not apply to contractors or for-profit hauling businesses.
For residents like Andrew Bolté, the cleanup has been extensive.
"Six trees ripped out of the ground with their root balls in the air hanging just criss-crossed all over," Bolté said, describing the damage in his neighborhood.
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Bolté said he was driving home the night of June 22 when the microburst hit, knocking down trees and blocking his way. He grabbed a gardening tool from his truck and began clearing debris before a neighbor joined him.
"He said you're gonna need a chainsaw," Bolté said.
Unfortunately for Bolté, he did not have one.
"He said well I've got one. He came out with two. Pretty soon, we had 40 neighbors in the pouring rain cutting and cutting and cutting," Bolté said.
Families affected by the storm said they were grateful for neighbors who stepped in to help.
"Everyone, so many people of the neighborhood come from different homes to say, 'what's up, you good? You feel good, yes?" Jose Restrepo said.
Residents also said they believe the full extent of the damage was overlooked.
"I think people coming to look at the damage and assess whether we need funds to help ... didn't see what we saw," Bolté said.
Bolté said a town hall meeting held last week "felt like a bunch of agencies saying it wasn't their fault."
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"Nobody cares whose fault it was," he said.
County leaders said they want to do more to assist residents still dealing with the aftermath.
"Unfortunately for many residents, the cleanup is ongoing. The long-term damage is high with the related costs, and the trauma is very real," said Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer during a Board of Supervisors meeting this week.
Tuesday, she filed a motion, alongside Chairman Jeff McKay, to waive solid waste disposal fees for families impacted by the storm.
Bolté said he wishes the fee waiver had been approved sooner.
"I think that would have helped tremendously to get people helping themselves," he said.
Still, he said the county's action will make a difference.
"That's actually gonna change my weekend," Bolté said. He told WUSA9 he's going to do some research and see if he can use his pick-up truck to help out some of his neighbors.