Old refrigerators, rotting wood and vegetation make up the mammoth amount of Superstorm Sandy debris waiting to be hauled off Fire Island. Homeowners and businesses want to prepare for the upcoming summer vacation season but one visitor's planned arrival is creating a pressing deadline.
The return of an endangered bird species known as the piping plover (PLUH'-vur) will severely restrict truck access to the barrier island. If officials don't get the trash removed by mid-March, they'll have to haul debris by barge.
That deadline has officials scrambling. The Army Corps of Engineers has had difficulty finding a contractor but a spokeswoman says a new company could start this weekend.
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