Crews tackle cleanup of trash, waste, needles around homeless shelter

Safety • Effort focused near Rio Grande Street collected trash, waste, needles.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division, clean up campsites along 600 South on Friday.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Heavy equipment is used to clean up trash on 500 West, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Heavy equipment is used to move blankets, tents and bicycles on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
People camping on public property move the belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 South on Friday.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

People camping on public property move the belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites under the over pass, along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

People camping on public property move their belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Karla Bartholomew collects needles left by homes people camping along 500 West, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area. More than 100 needles were found among the debris. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

More than 100 needles were found among the debris, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Heavy equipment is used to move blankets, tents and bicycles on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
More than 100 needles were found among the debris, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area on Friday.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

People camping on public property move their belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up remnants of the camps on 500 West, Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division, clean up campsites along 600 South, Friday, March 31, 2017.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

Heavy equipment is used to move trash on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

1 of 15

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division, clean up campsites along 600 South on Friday. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Heavy equipment is used to clean up trash on 500 West, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Heavy equipment is used to move blankets, tents and bicycles on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune People camping on public property move the belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 South on Friday. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune People camping on public property move the belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites under the over pass, along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune People camping on public property move their belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along 600 south, Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Karla Bartholomew collects needles left by homes people camping along 500 West, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area. More than 100 needles were found among the debris. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune More than 100 needles were found among the debris, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Heavy equipment is used to move blankets, tents and bicycles on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune More than 100 needles were found among the debris, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up the area on Friday. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune People camping on public property move their belongings, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up remnants of the camps on 500 West, Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division, clean up campsites along 600 South, Friday, March 31, 2017. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Heavy equipment is used to move trash on 600 South, as workers from the Salt Lake County Health Department and Salt Lake City Waste and Recycling Division clean up campsites along the street. Friday, March 31, 2017.

By Courtney Tanner The Salt Lake Tribune

· April 2, 2017 1:31 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Health and safety crews spent three hours Friday morning clearing blankets, used needles and bottles filled with human waste from the blocks surrounding a downtown homeless shelter.

"[It's] stuff you would normally see in a landfill, frankly," said Nicholas Rupp, Salt Lake County Health Department spokesman. "There's just a lot of debris."

The department regularly schedules community cleanup days to clear "public health hazards" from makeshift homeless camps, including along the Jordan River and the Foothills. Friday's effort focused on 500 West and Rio Grande Street from about 200 South to 600 South near The Road Home.

Officials posted signs Wednesday, notifying those living in the area about the cleanup. Crews, including Salt Lake City police officers and health specialists, scoured the area about 9 a.m., urging people to pack their belongings. Thirty minutes later, staff members filled the street as they picked up the abandoned items.

"There's clothing, blankets, bicycle parts, strollers that are broken," Rupp said. "There are also the things that are more concerning to us: a lot of syringes, human waste, a lot of the clothing and blankets and sleeping bags and stuff like that are soiled with bodily fluids."

The cleanup wrapped by about noon, Rupp said, with two dump trucks full of garbage. In January, the cleanup yielded about 14 tons of waste, and in February there were 8 tons. Rupp sees the decline as a "positive sign" and said even less was collected Friday, though a weight estimate was not yet available.

He told The Salt Lake Tribune in January that when a cleanup may affect those experiencing homelessness, the city and county "ensure there are resources and services available to those potentially affected people."

ctanner@sltrib.com

Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner