City officials began moving people out of a portion of Tucsonβs largest homeless camp early Thursday morning.
City officials began clearing a portion of the largest homeless camp in Tucson early Thursday. Thursdayβs effort was to clear the area for soil testing, but the city has said the entire camp will be cleared for the end of the year for improvements.
Police began notifying occupants about 5 a.m. that they needed to leave a portion of the 100-Acre Wood, which also is called βThe Acres.β
The city began warning those living in the northern portion of the encampment, called Zone 1, earlier this month that they needed to leave soΒ Davis-Monthan Air Force Base can begin test in the area for PFAS chemicals.
Once the camp is cleared, D-M will be drilling on-site and taking βmassive soil samplesβ for testing of both the soil and groundwater in the area, according to Andy Squire, a spokesman for the city.
Efforts to clear the area began even before the city officially notified camp occupants of the cleanup, Squire said. About 20 abandoned vehicles, including an RV, were removed from the area about six weeks ago, he said.
The campβs clear-out area is on the north side of East Golf Links Road where it meets South Alvernon Way. About two dozen people were believed to have been living there, officials said earlier in the month.
According to Squire, about half of those people were already moved out or were in the process of doing so as of about 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Thursdayβs clear-out was the first round of the city effort to move people out of the entire area because of an upcoming project to build new trails on the property.
Cleanup efforts are expected to last at the least a week, Squire said.
βThe main thingβ the city is concerned with going forward, Squire said, is keeping people from moving back in to the area after it is cleared. There is no immediate plan, however, on how to make that happen, he said.
For most of the people staying in the area that was cleared, βmoving outβ meant relocating their campsite to another area in the larger encampment.
Squire said clear-outs for the rest of the encampment likely wonβt start until the fall, though it is expected to be completely clear by the end of the year.
City crews and volunteers began loading debris from a large homeless camp into a garbage truck early Thursday. A section of the encampment was being cleared for soil testing, but the whole camp is set to be cleared before the end of the year for park improvements.
On Thursday, police were joined in the effort by community service agencies and city officials who have spent months offering social services to the people living in the camp.
None of the people that had to move out Thursday morning took the resources offered, such as emergency sheltering, Squire told the Star.
A handful of activists also were there, but the situation remained calm.
The area being cleared was isolated by yellow caution tape and a large garbage truck parked inside the area was slowly being filled by city workers and volunteers.
Later, a skid steer-style loader was brought in and used to clear out large swathes of the encampment, further filling the city garbage truck with tents, busted pallets, old appliances, tarps and other large items throughout the area.
City officials began moving people out of a portion of Tucson's largest homeless camp early Thursday morning. Video by Grace Trejo, Arizona Daily Star
Once those larger structures located in the area are cleared, the cityβs Environmental Services department will begin cleaning the area of litter and smaller items to help prepare it for groundwater testing.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are called forever chemicals that have been used for decades and have spread into the air, water and soil. The chemicals were used for things like making firefighting foam.
City officials began moving people out of a portion of Tucson's largest homeless camp early Thursday morning. Video by Grace Trejo, Arizona Daily Star
Photos: 100-Acre Wood Zone 1 gets cleared out
Clean-up crews begin clearing out shelters inside of Zone 1 in the 100-Acre Wood, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
Tucson Police Captain John Carlson removes caution tape from an encampment that was incorrectly placed inside of the Zone 1 clear out section, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
A woman uses a shopping cart to carry her belongings out of the 100-Acre Wood during the Zone 1 clear out, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
A group of community volunteers walk into the 100-Acre Wood encampment to provide displaced people with resources, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
A police man bikes over to a pair of people cleaning their space during the 100-Acre Wood Zone 1 clear-out, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
Clean-up crews begin clearing out shelters inside of the 100-Acre Wood, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
City of Tucson officials make their way into the 100-Acre Wood encampment, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
Two men converse while cleaning up their shelters located inside of the 100-Acre Wood encampment, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
Clean-up crews began clearing out shelters inside of the 100-Acre Wood on Thursday morning, 2801 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2024.
