Peduto Wants To Hold Concert Promoters Accountable For Clean-Up Efforts
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Luke Bryan entertained over 50,000 people at Heinz Field Saturday night. However, the aftermath of the event led Mayor Bill Peduto to weigh in with some strong words.
According to a statement from Peduto, Pittsburgh Public Safety officials responded to over 300 concert-related incidents.
"Pittsburgh Police issued 37 non-traffic citations (20 for scalping; 10 for public urination; six for disorderly conduct; and one for public intoxication); made at least seven arrests; broke up 15 fights and answered 154 calls to 911. City medics responded to 100 calls to 311 and made 34 transports to hospitals," the statement said.
Public Works crews began clean-up efforts around 11 a.m. Saturday and worked throughout the day. By Sunday, they were still cleaning up garbage from boaters near the Allegheny River.
As for who will be paying for the clean-up efforts, Peduto said they will look into holding concert promoters responsible.
"We've worked too hard to build the quality-of-life in Pittsburgh to let others get away with destroying it. My administration will investigate further ways to hold promoters more accountable for these costs and impacts, while recognizing the economic benefits such large events bring to our publicly-owned facilities," the statement said.
Dumpsters and extra restrooms were brought in to try to avoid a scene like the one after last year's big country concert.
"[I've] been doing this 28 years and this is the second-worst I've seen," ABM Parking Service's Ryan Merriman said.
The worst Merriman has seen was the Kenny Chesney show last summer.
Merriman had crews cleaning the parking lot across from the Carnegie Science Center. His company left 4,000 trash bags in the parking lot. Some fans used them, while others did not.
They even took other steps to help fans get rid of the garbage.
"If you look at our porta-johns, we put [them] around the dumpsters. So, if they use the restrooms, they could take trash as they go throughout, but not everybody did that," he said.
Meanwhile, the parking lot on the east side of the stadium was clear. Mike Gable, with the Public Works Department, thinks things have improved since the Chesney concert.
"It's definitely more planning, but it's also ALCO and Heinz having more dumpsters in their lot. I think a little bit has to go to the people who got the rubbish to the containers," Gable said.
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