[StBernard] Trash Removal

[Westley Annis]

When I first began gutting our house in Section 17 of the trash map, 
the trash pickup was excellent. They went to where the gutting and 
debris was and it was disposed of timely. There seemed to be dump 
trucks picking up everywhere. Then I read in the paper a few weeks ago 
that FEMA was going to stop paying the parish for debris removal 
because FEMA didn't like the way the locals were doing it and that FEMA 
was going to have it done via the Corps of Engrs using the COE 
contractor.

Maybe it's a coincidence, but maybe it's a change in contractor, but 
after that article appeared in the paper, debris pickup halted in 
Section 17.  The debris has been so high on Corinne's neutral ground 
for two weeks that you can't see the houses on the opposite side of the 
street. Bulldozers go by pushing debris onto the neutral ground to keep 
the street passable, but no dump trucks are there to haul away. I go 
there at least once a day to check on the house, and I have yet to see 
debris being taken away in Section 17 on any street.

I've heard through the grapevine that you have to go to Unified 
Recovery and request your address be put on board to get a pickup. This 
is absurd. Anyone with oversight for  the debris removal can drive 
around the sections and see whether debris is accumulating or not and 
arrange the schedule to meet the needs.

Please advise who is directing where debris is picked up, not just 
pushed aside which is a waste of time and money. Do I really have to go 
beg Unified Recovery to get on the chalkboard?  Those who have not yet 
gutted can't save their homes now because there is no more room to put 
the debris and the debris from a house can fill from street to porch if 
not picked up. If Corinne didn't have space on the neutral ground when 
I started, then I would have had to stop the contractor from gutting or 
paid for a private dumpster to continue. This is all in addition to the 
public health hazard.

Recovery and rebuilding starts with debris removal.

Deborah Keller