HOUSTON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Authorities of the U.S. state of Texas have decided to open an investigation into a number of debris removal companies which are blamed to be working across the state's battered southeast rather slowly in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday he made the decision to look into companies contracted to haul debris in hurricane-hit areas. The move was in response to the requirement of John Sharp, Texas A&M University's chancellor who is overseeing the state's recovery operations.
"It's time to find out why some are moving too slowly, and why some are refusing help that would remove debris faster," Sharp said in a press release on Friday.
"Debris removal companies may be overpromising and under-delivering," Paxton said.
"Texans are working hard to clean up after Hurricane Harvey and these companies should do the same. They cannot sign contracts with local governments, and then change the price or not deliver services," he noted.
Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in the south central region of the United States in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretched for more than 480 km. The Houston area suffered severe flooding after heavy rainfalls.
