Councilman Ronnie Smith wants meeting to address problem before it gets worse

By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Administration is in the process of scheduling a workshop to give updates on the Regional Sewer Treatment Plant for the East Bank of the Parish.

Councilman Ronnie Smith said the sewer plant issue has been on the backburner long enough, and updates need to be given. He suggested administration set up a meeting where everyone involved could come up with a way to move forward in deciding where a Regional Sewer Treatment Plant will be built.

Chief Administrative Officer Natalie Robottom said the meeting has not been scheduled yet, but administration is working on trying to find a time and place where everyone involved can be present.

&#8220The plan during the meeting is to decide whether or not to move forward to a second or alternative site,” Robottom said. &#8220We plan to have Mike Paterno, Ralph Bean and C.J. Savoie at the meeting, so everyone can discuss this issue at the same time.”

After every suggestion to a new site to construct a Regional Sewer Plant was shot down by the public, in an attempt to find a short-term solution, the Council last November approved a temporary packaging treatment plant on the site of the River Road Sewer Treatment Plant that would hold and treat an additional 100,000 gallons per day. The cost of the project was $200,000 and completion was expected in three months.

Parish President Nickie Monica said at the November meeting that after the new Regional Sewer Plant was built the temporary packaging plants could be sold, and the parish would get their money back.

&#8220This project has been budgeted,” Robottom said. &#8220There were some delays, and things have taken longer than expected, but we are in the process and moving forward with this. The engineers are testing the content of the soil in the area and are working on a design.”

Robottom said as of now the new developments in the area have not affected the River Road Sewer Treatment Plant, and that the Woodland, Belle Point and Garyville plants are all in good condition.

&#8220The problems we had before with the capacity at the River Road Plant was due to rain water,” Robottom said. &#8220Since we have not had a substantial amount of rain, there have been no problems, and the plant is running well.”