The Warren County Board of Supervisors Monday were asked to open a new debris collection point as work continues in the Eagle Lake community to recover from the year’s historic flood.

A debris drop off location had been available to the general public at the county’s boat landing in Eagle Lake, but that site was closed on Oct. 17 as officials with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks took steps to reopen the lake to the general public.

In their decision Monday, the board approved a site at the former cotton gin location at 13245 Highway 465. But, this site will not be open each day, county environmental officer Katie Martin said.

“We will have roll-off dumpsters at this location only when county crews are in that area collecting debris from rights of way in that area,” Martin said. “Those roll-offs will not be there every day.”

Martin said having a central collection site at the gin on the days crews are in the area makes the collection work by the crews more efficient, as they are able to pick up debris, drop it off at the gin and then go back and get more debris. Then, when the crews have completed their work, they are then able to take the collected debris to the landfill location in Vicksburg.

“It saves them time, and it saves the county money,” Martin said.

Even though there is not a schedule of when the debris site will be available to the public, Martin said that when roll-offs are placed at the gin for county crews, the public can take any debris they have to that site.

“But, it is only for debris. It is not for any household garbage,” Martin said, adding debris is considered materials from demolishing homes and piers, to construction materials tied to repair work that is ongoing in many of the homes affected by the February to August flood.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has approved the new collection site. Martin also added the cost of the debris removal is among the costs being tracked that could be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.