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DC Council to Hold Hearings on Snow Removal

Thursday, Feb 11, 2010 | Updated 9:00 PM EST

D.C. Councilman Jim Graham wants to know why this week's snow-removal efforts seem slow compared to efforts following the Dec. 19 snowstorm.

Graham, the chairman of the Committee on Public Works, announced a series of hearings to evaluate the city's snow response this week, D.C. Wire reported.

While the city handled the blizzard on December 19, 2009, with great skill and efficiency, snow removal following the one-two punch of storms on February 5 and again on the 10th has left many residents wondering if we could have done more," Graham said. "The duty of public officials is to be prepared for the unexpected."

Mayor Adrian Fenty, DDOT and Public Works are hearing plenty of grumbling about untreated (or under-treated) city streets.

Comparing December and February is unfair, city officials said.

After the Dec. 19 storm, for example, temperatures rose above freezing for several consecutive days, making it easier for salt to eat through the snow-pack. Some areas of the city also reported about 6 more inches on Saturday then they did Dec. 19.

Still, council members believe more could have been done to prepare for the storms, according to D.C. Wire.

Hearings will be held Feb. 26 and March 10. Hopefully a fourth storm won't be in need of a hearing by then.