By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Parish leaders are pleading patience in the painful process of picking up debris left behind from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike as council members voiced their displeasure with the pace of the procedure.

“I know I don’t stand alone in this,” said District 7 Councilwoman Cheryl Millet. “We’ve gotten so many conflicting stories about what to do with debris and residents are becoming frustrated.”

Millet expressed to the administration that residents have been confused regarding how to separate debris, who is going to pick it up and when it will be picked up.

“I have residents whose lawns are yellowing because piles are just sitting there waiting to be picked up,” Millet said. “It is becoming more of a mess.”

In addition to a pre-positioned contract with a FEMA approved debris removal company, Parish President Bill Hubbard told the council he has called for four extra trucks from SweeDee, to pick up limbs and branches, and two trucks from Metro Disposal, for removal of bagged leaves and small debris. He said there was some confusion between the two waste disposal companies, but it has since been resolved.

“I’m not happy with the progress we are making,” Hubbard said. “Removal of debris has not gone as quickly as we’d hoped, but I ask that the residents just remain patient.”

As of Thursday, parish officials said that crews have picked up and disposed of about 50,000 cubic yards of debris out of an estimated 200,000 cubic yards total. Hubbard estimated that the back-to-back punch of the hurricanes has put the pickup about a week behind.

“Gustav was one problem, but then Hurricane Ike hit and devastated the Houston area,” Hubbard said. “All of the aid that we were getting for Gustav moved west to help the cleanup efforts there. The quantity is higher in Texas and they are going where the big bucks are. I just ask that the residents have some perspective.” 

To combat the sluggish pace, St. John Public Information Officer Buddy Boe said that the parish has been in contact with local contractors to try and get more help with the cleanup effort. He said there has been reluctance because it is not clear whether FEMA will cover the costs of additional help outside of the pre-positioned contract the parish has already arranged.

“We are working with FEMA to see if that can be resolved,” said Boe. “Specific rules are involved.”

In addition to those efforts, Boe said the parish also has plans to keep the green debris drop-off site, positioned at the Reserve Boat Launch, open until Sunday evening for any member of the parish who has the means to truck their debris away themselves. After Sunday, the site will only be open to debris removal contractors.

Boe also said that the administration is working with the St. John Sheriff’s Office to deploy inmate work crews to tidy up the streets after debris crews have made their passes.