[StBernard] debris

[Westley Annis]

With the recent heavy rains, the blocked drains are creating flooded streets
in various neighborhoods. I have called Public Works at
278-4317 to request the drains been cleaned by my house. They have never
been cleaned since the storm and there is no debris or trash any longer
surrounding my drain, which I patrol and even cut the grass around it. I
have not seen a vacuum truck in the parish in weeks so I called in to Public
Works because I don't think there are trucks coming systematically down the
residential streets.

  I also called Public Works today about a situation a few blocks ahead of
mine where the drains are so badly clogged that the street is impassable for
a day after the rain. For this case, I also called Murphy at 304-6610
because the gutted debris of four homes done by a volunteer group a month
ago is still sitting there, clogging and covering the drains even more, and
there is debris floating into the street when the water rises up to the
sidewalks. It sounded like Murphy would put it on their list of Murphy oil
debris to be picked up, but that they are trying to get to the homes that
were gutted more than a month ago. It's a health hazard, a road/safety
hazard, and a drainage issue. This is not acceptable. It shouldn't take
Murphy more than a month to pick up gutted debris in the oil spill area.
Since it took four phone calls to get the right phone no. at Murphy for this
problem, I think the parish has more clout to get to the right Murphy person
and have Murphy step up the removal of oil contaminated debris so that it is
picked up within a week of being reported.

Deborah Keller