Calcasieu litter manager: Creation of statewide task force great news

Published 7:43 pm Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The launch of a statewide anti-litter task force is showing how serious officials are in tackling the ongoing problem, Wyvette Pryor-Cousin, Calcasieu Parish litter manager, said Tuesday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards addressed the Governor’s Task Force on Statewide Litter Abatement and Beautification Tuesday. The 26-member group will be managed by Keep Louisiana Beautiful, which is under Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser’s office. Edwards will receive recommendations from the task force by July 1.

Pryor-Cousin said the parish is excited about the task force and the stance taken by Edwards and other state leaders to curb littering.

“We still see trash and illegal dumping here, so it’s great to see this task force coming out to show that something has to be done,” she said. “It shows they’re getting other key players on board to do this. That allows citizens to take it seriously and not tolerate what is happening on a statewide basis.”

Pryor-Cousin said a growing problem is the illegal dumping of RVs and campers.

Another issue is loads of tires being dropped off.

She said the marshal’s offices in Wards 3 and 4 are installing cameras in areas where littering and illegal dumping occurs frequently.

“We’re seeing hundreds of tires,” she said. “We can’t figure out who’s doing it, so we’re trying to put up the cameras and asking people to report it if they see something.”

Littering typically occurs in low-traffic areas, such as the Nelson Road boat launch.

“We will get an area cleaned up, and people just go and dump things over there again,” she said. “We see it parishwide, not just the southern area. It’s everywhere.”

The parish has partnered with the Wards 3 and 4 marshal’s offices and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office to hold those who litter accountable.

“We’re seeing quite the momentum in getting those people prosecuted, instead of them thinking nothing is going to happen to them,” she said. “We’re getting a lot more reporting from the public. They need to be our eyes and ears.”

Fines for simple littering, such as items flying out of a truck bed, can range from $40 to $100. Intentional littering carries a $250 fine for a first offense, a $500 fine for a second offense and $1,250 for a third offense. Illegal dumping can carry fines that range from $500 to $5,000. Pryor-Cousin said the parish may consider raising littering fines at some point.

Neil Aspinwall, Sowela Technical Community College chancellor, is a state task force member, representing higher education.

To report littering or illegal dumping, call 493-5487 or visit pickitupcalcasieu.com.