FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Neighbors of San Carlos Island have been living with what they now call the "Mountain of Garbage"—a massive pile of debris that’s been growing for months. Located right next to homes, the unsightly pile has not only attracted attention but also unwanted visitors like rats, mice, and even iguanas.
When Fox 4 Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev visited the area in October, he noticed the pile growing, right in the middle of a residential area:
Steve Cohen, who lives on San Carlos Island, expressed his frustration: “A mountain of garbage, that’s what we like to call it. At this point, we don’t like to call it that, but it’s bad.”
The neighbors say the problem began after recent hurricanes, when dumpsters floated away, and trash collection never resumed. "It’s been pretty bad," Cohen said. "We got rats up and down the street, you know, vermin, mice, and all kinds of things, iguanas—we’ve never had iguanas before!"
Cohen explained he’s been trying to get the debris picked up since August, but collection has been complicated. County workers told him they couldn’t remove debris from commercial properties like apartments, condominiums, and trailer parks due to FEMA rules. According to those regulations, property owners are expected to work with their insurance companies to arrange debris removal.
However, on Friday, Lee County officials announced they’d received a waiver from FEMA to allow a one-time countywide debris pickup. “I’m very positive about this weekend,” Cohen said. “When they start cleaning up San Carlos Island, we’re the forgotten island, and it would be really nice if they did clean this.”
The county’s debris hauler will make just one pass on Saturday, and the entire cleanup across Lee County could take several weeks.
