Storm debris pick up underway throughout the city

In the coming week, the city of Shreveport should begin to look better as crews complete their first sweep through the city, collecting piles of debris left in the wake of a storm on June 16 that caused widespread damage, including downed power lines and trees.

“It’s huge,” Mayor Tom Arceneaux said of the mess. “We think there is 100,000 cubic yards or more of debris. That’s a lot. We did a helicopter survey, and that’s the estimate.”

Arceneaux signed a contract July 11 with Ceres Environmental, one of the nation’s largest debris and environmental services providers, to handle the collection and disposal of vegetative debris. Crews from Ceres went to work July 17, and they have 42 days to complete debris pickup.

“They have agreed to make a complete pass through the city and pick up what’s on the curb within two weeks,” Arceneaux said. “The city ought to be looking a whole lot better then. They will make a second pass after that, and if necessary, a third pass. So the important thing is for people to get their stuff to the curb.”

Arceneaux reminds residents that Ceres is picking up only vegetative debris. City crews will handle any other bulk debris. But residents only need to concern themselves with getting it to the curb.

“All we ask is that they get it to the curb and not cover up a water meter or something like that,” he said. “Get it to the curb as quickly as they can.”

The mayor said there is no schedule for where crews will be at any given time during the pickup process. But “they are not picking it up one street at a time. The sooner people can get stuff to the curb, the sooner it will get picked up.”

And what if someone misses a pickup? “They will make a second pass after that, and if necessary, a third pass,” Arceneaux said.

Ceres will take the collected debris to a cityowned site that has been permitted for disposal of the debris, Arceneaux said.

“That will take a little longer, but it will be out of everybody’s sight,” he said. “Then it will be disposed of in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Environmental Quality. Some of it may go in various places, but a lot of it will go in our landfill.”

At the processing site, the debris will be crushed to a point where it can be delivered to the landfill. It will not be mulched, the mayor said. Anyone interested in acquiring some of the material for mulch can consider contacting Ceres.

“If people are interested, the material is going to belong to the contractor,” Arceneaux said. “Once they pick it up, it’s theirs. So, if there are people who are interested in that, that is a possibility, and they should contact the contractor.”

Arceneaux said the cleanup effort cost is estimated at $2 million. He expects the state to reimburse the city for 75 percent of the expanses, making the city’s share about $500,000. The mayor said the scope of the project makes the investment necessary and worthwhile.

“These people have the capability to deal with it,” he said. “And they are committed to Fair Share.”

Mayor honors heroes

Arceneaux also praised Shreveport’s first responders for their actions during a recent active shooter situation.

A gunman entered a house in the Quiet Cove neighborhood July 10. The suspect shot a neighbor who tried to confront him, shot at police and shot a young girl in the house. During a standoff with law enforcement, the house became engulfed in flames. The girl was rescued from the home.

“I’m proud of the Shreveport Police Department and the Shreveport Fire Department and everybody for this active shooter situation we had,” Arceneaux said. “There were tremendous, heroic efforts on the part of some police officers to rescue the young girl who was inside the house.”