Doris Maricle

JENNINGS – Jeff Davis Parish residents have until Nov. 30 to dispose of storm-related debris from Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

Police Jury President Donald Woods said residents should place their debris is separate piles in the right-of-way by that date to be picked up for removal. The debris can include trees and vegetation as well as construction and demolition debris.

Crews from KDF Enterprises, the Alabama based company under contract by the Police Jury to pick up the disaster debris, have been working to remove the debris since mid-October, but the removal is not going fast enough for Woods.

“I wish they’d get things done more quicker,” Woods said. “People are tired of seeing this in their front yards and we are tired of seeing it.”

After Nov. 30 residents will be responsible for removing their own debris.  

Homeowners can haul their construction and demolition debris at no cost to the parish landfill near Welsh . The landfill is open weekdays from 6 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m.-2 p.m.  The landfill will not accept large vegetation which residents are allowed to burn in the unincorporated ares of the parish.

Kim Bowyer, of Tetra Tech Inc., who has been monitoring the debris removal said work is still continuing as crews work to remove commercial and demolition debris, pick up vegetation and cut up hanging debris.

As of Tuesday, nearly 16,000 cubic yards, or 40 percent of the estimated 40,000 cubic yards of debris has been removed throughout the parish, according to Bowyer.

Crews finished working in Topsy last week and have not been back, he said. Crews began working in week in Lake Arthur and Woodlawn this week.

Debris has also been removed from Roanoke, areas north of Jennings, Fenton, Lacassine and Welsh.

Bowyer said the crews are averaging about 1,300 cubic yards a day with 1,700 cubic yards picked up Tuesday using at least two trucks a day with a total of up to six trucks covering the parish at times. Weekly pick up is estimated at 7,000 cubic yards.  He estimates debris removal will be completed by the end of the month.

Police Juror Byron Buller said there is still people waiting for storm debris from both hurricanes to be removed. Some of the debris piles are causing drainage problems in many areas including areas just west of Woodlawn, he said.

Police Juror Chad Talbot said Pousson Road has one of the worse areas for construction debris which has created a hazard concern for residents and motorists.

Six loads of construction and demolition debris were removed from the Pousson Road area on Tuesday, according to Bowyer.

The Police Jury initially contracted with DRC Emergency Services to pick up the debris in rural areas from Hurricane Laura under a 30-day emergency contract. The Police Jury contracted with KDF Enterprise of Mobile, Ala. to continue the debris removal from the two hurricanes when that contract expired.A crew with Maverick Rigging & Heavy Hauling out of Harrisville, Pa., loads storm debris from a Lake Charles yard Sunday. This day’s haul included everything from a mattress and box spring, above, to cut-up tree trunks and branches, left. The crew is making every effort to separate tree debris from housing debris, they said, even though many residents have piled both kinds of debris together.

Donna Price