[StBernard] Debris disposal (Lack of)

[Westley Annis]

Hey Mr. Richardson,
 
Sorry about the delay in contacting you relative to other matters.  The
debirs issue is not acceptable- I agree.  The rate of collection has been a
sore subject now for several weeks.  There is no excuse for the lack of
progress on this issue and my next statement will likley be very unpopular
but here it is.  The plan for the debris removal has been stuck in low gear
since we started- the primary hold up has been the approval of a grand plan
for the debris removal, demolition, and internal gutting of the properties.
Well, while this grand plan has taken literally months now to develop and
get approval, many residents have taken it upon themselves (which I
whole-heartedly support) to get on with getting on with the clean up
process.  While a local emphasis has been placed on the debris removal
process, the rate has remained limited because of a balance to protect the
local workforce until the demoliti on process and the "gutting" (IF
APPROVED) can begin- the problem is if the workforce is infiltrated by
double or triple the manpower before the demolition begins, then the amount
of work awarded to each crew significantly decreases.  This dilema has now
become the source of frustration for me and others.  While the local crews
have worked hard and have been doing very good, the debris is growing and
the pick up just can not be kept up with-  this tells me that there is
enough debris that will satisfy the local work force and can be supplemented
by additional crews no matter where they are from.
 
As far as the Murphy area, any person who owns a house being gutted or not
in the area needs to call EPA, DEQ, and Murphy Oil at least 5 times a day- I
know this seems like a chore, but believe me they need to hear from you- I
will get the specific phone numbers outside of the general numbers and post
them. The fact of the area relative to Murphy Oil is that any debris pick up
in any part of a gridded area that includes an oil impacted area was stopped
until an acceptable site was obtained for Murhpy Oil to transfer or haul
debris from that area to-  you have seen Ms. Keller's insistance regarding
this matter and we have demanded that Murphy use their own property to hold
their debris until another site becomes available, but common sense does not
always fit the mold in this event.  It has nothing to do with payment or
anything else- I am sorry that even our own employees will answer questions
when they do not know the facts; I think some pe ople just want to give an
answer to be helpful, even if it is not factual.
 
Here are some debris figures that will pick up dramatically, but this tells
the story as to why you see so much debris left out at this point-  I am
asking Murphy Oil to provide these same types of numbers starting this week.
 
Parish Est. Total (cy)  4,500,000
% Remaining St. Bernard* 93%
Hauled to Date (cy)   350,199
Phase 1 Debris Est. Comp. Date    TBD
 
Thanks for your committment-  I will try to talk with you on Sunday about
other matters.
 
Craig Taffaro