B.R. still picking up Gustav’s mess

[Comment Below]

By Ashley McClung

More than two months after Hurricane Gustav blew through Baton Rouge, the cleanup process is still well underway. Ceres Environmental, Inc., the company hired by the local government for Gustav cleanup, has already removed 1.7 million cubic yards of debris along East Baton Rouge roadsides and is still hard at work.

The final run through the parish began Monday, Nov. 10, and will continue through the end of the month. Baton Rouge residents are reminded to get any hurricane related trash to the curb as soon as possible. Once this last phase is done, any debris will become the land owner’s responsibility.

In the mean time, the responsibility of the city-parish government becomes more of a burden. The total cost of picking up roadside debris is expected to be $44 million by the end of the cleanup.

While the federal government has agreed to pay 75% of these costs, Baton Rouge is still left with a hefty bill of $11 million. Governor Jindal is urging FEMA to pay the entire cost, as was promised to Texas for recovery after Hurricane Ike, but thus far, there has been no reply to the request.

Luckily, the city-parish has a reserve fund set aside for emergencies just like these, but the $44 million in debris cleanup is only one piece of the puzzle. It does not include debris picked up by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development along state roads, debris picked up along local roads in surrounding areas such as Baker and Central or any other aspects of storm recovery.

“We’ve already spent more on debris alone from Gustav than we spent for all expenditures that were related to Hurricane Katrina three years ago,” said Walter Monsour, the chief administrative officer of the mayor.

Gustav may have blown away two months ago, but the mess it left behind is far from gone.

Originally Published: Issue 712 - November 12, 2008

Share on Facebook

Back to the top