New temporary debris site opens in East Baton Rouge Parish
BATON ROUGE – All East Baton Rouge Parish residents should expect to see their 'first pass' of debris cleanup within the next 10 days, parish officials said Thursday.
Officials gave the first in a series of daily updates of debris removal efforts after last month’s historic flooding Thursday morning.
“We know that the quicker we can get to you and your homes and collect your debris, the sooner you can start the process of recovery,” Director of Environmental Services, Karen Khonsari, said. “Please know that we are doing everything that we can with the resources at our disposal to do just that.”
Khonsari was joined by representatives for two contractors that will be collecting and monitoring the debris: DRC Emergency Services and Thompson Consulting.
Starting Monday, Sept. 19, debris collection crews will be able to come up to 30 feet from the road to collect debris, according to Khonsari.
Residents must sign up for the program before crews can enter the property. Residents will have to execute a writ of entry agreement. More information on how to do that will be released later Thursday.
As of Wednesday, parish officials have been authorized to open a second debris staging site at 15400 Old Perkins Road West. The site will operate similarly to the other temporary debris site located off of Sherwood and Choctaw.
Trending News
All debris at the Perkins Road West site will be compacted and hauled to another landfill within 90 days. That site must also comply with LADEQ environmental requirements.
Crews have removed 750,000 cubic yards of debris, collecting on average between 35,000 – 45,000 cubic yards of debris a day. Those trucks are working daily.
The spokesperson for Thompson Consulting said 189 trucks are working throughout the area collecting debris. More than 170 inspectors are following those crews documenting their work for FEMA.
Residents that have not seen a debris truck pass by their homes yet can expect to see crews within the next 10 days. More debris trucks are being added.
Fridges, appliances will get picked up starting this weekend, lasts until all are gone.
— Michael Vinsanau (@MVinsanau) September 15, 2016
Anyone with questions are asked to contact 888-721-4372. Residents can also view an interactive map of where debris pickup efforts are at by clicking here.