[StBernard] new construction debris

[Westley Annis]

Deborah,
 
check the news releases- this was announced well before now.
 
Craig 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
Those of you who read da-parish.com won't be surprised, just disappointed,
to see on the parish website the announcement that FEMA won't pay for
hauling away new construction debris. To the newcomers to da-parish, you
see, back in Dec. I posted the question whether we who are repairing needed
to get our own dumpsters, as we would if we were repairing/building before
the storm. The reply message came that FEMA pay URG for the pickup.
 
In February, I posted a message that our parish needed to stay ahead of FEMA
and should pay attentiont to what Kenner and Jefferson were going
through-FEMA was refusing to allow pickup of new construction debris. The
problem got worse as household garbage was mixed in with storm debris and
new construction debris and they had a giant health mess on their hands.
Again, the reply message was that FEMA would pick it up and later the came
the suggestion to just mix it, i.e. hide it, with storm debris.
 
In June I posted that I was going to have to pay $800 to have my sheetrock
and other new construction debris hauled to the Westbank because URG workers
said FEMA wouldn't let them pick it up.  Then, somehow, it got picked up
(new crew maybe?). Having learned the hard way what I knew to be true all
along, I have used Jefferson friends to take my new construction debris away
each weekend and legally dispose of it because we St. Bernardians do not
have a public dumpsite where we can bring ours.  Orleans, St. Tammany,  and
Jefferson take it with a valid driver's license showing proof of residency.
But their parishes have money to provide this service. 
 
When I asked Community Development about this in the past, they said that
the parish law had never changed-new construction and repairs always did and
always would require the owner to legally dispose of that debris and their
office had no idea how people got the idea that it would be picked up free
by URG, Murphy, or anybody else. 
 
So finally St. Bernard Parish is publicly announcing what Jefferson
announced seven months ago. Do not put new construction debris out and
expect free hauling away. You can keep waiting for a public dump site (the
announcement said maybe Gore Pumping Station at some future date), pay a
hauler, rent a dumpster service, or ask your Orleans, Jefferson, or St.
Tammany friends with trucks to visit you often and take a little something
back to their parish with them. I just hope we don't end up with a lot of
illegal dumping in canals, right of ways, other people's properties, etc.
because people will do whatever is easiest and cheapest to get it off their
own curbs.
 
DDK