Gerald Anthony Guidry
July 28, 2009
Florett "Flo" Johnson
July 30, 2009The Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government has initiated a recycling program to combat overcrowding in landfills and global warming, said Parish President Michel Claudet.
The Terrebonne Parish Council, the parish Utility Department’s Environmental Service Division, and fire departments in Terrebonne are backing the program.
Eulin Guidry, Terrebonne’s solid waste administrator, said residents can make use of three recycling bins placed on the east, west and south areas of Houma near the Bayou Cane Fire Station on W. Main Street, the East Houma Fire Station at the intersection of Plant Road and Tunnel Boulevard, and the South Houma Fire Station at the intersection of St. Charles Street and Valhi.
Residents can recycle items like paper, plastics and aluminum by placing them in the designated bins. Other debris and trash must be picked up during normal garbage collections times.
Lafourche Parish has made some changes to its recycling program. Jerome Danos, the parish’s solid waste manager, said the department has relocated its designated recycle drop-off sites.
Recycling bins were formerly located in the parking lots of the Wal-Mart Supercenters in Mathews and Galliano. Now they are located at the Lafourche Parish Government office in Mathews, site of the Old Wal-Mart, and the parking lot of the South Lafourche Library on Highway 308 in Galliano.
The parish is in the process of relocating the Thibodaux recycling bin from the Wal-Mart Supercenter on North Canal Boulevard. However, a new location has not been selected, Danos said.
Wal-Mart was concerned about the liabilities involved with having the recyclable bins in their parking lots.
“They felt that the bins would attract some unsightly and hazardous waste, and they did not want that in their parking area,” Danos explained. “Wal-Mart’s compliance team felt that the bins should be relocated and the Wal-Mart administrators agreed.”
Residents can access the recycling bins at the new locations any time. All acceptable items include paper products, plastics, tin cans, aluminum cans and foils. The program does not accept glass recyclables, Danos noted.
Residents are also not required to separate the items. But they are asked to be sure to place all items inside of the bins and not leave any materials on the ground.
With local residents making home repairs and shoring up their properties for the looming storm season, Parish President Charlotte Randolph said homeowners, along with contractors performing services in the parish, are responsible for disposing of any debris, trash or garbage related to the work.
It is not the responsibility of the parish or SWDI, Randolph said.
If the company does not offer debris removal services, it is still the responsibility of the homeowner to call the proper solid waste contactor to arrange for debris removal.
Danos also said the parish is not responsible for collecting trash or debris from vacant lots that do not have a residential dwelling with running water, working lights and electric power services.
Lafourche and Terrebonne have two garbage collection days per week.
Local officials said to make the garbage and trash collection process more efficient and less expensive, residents are asked to bag or contain all trash. Tree debris should be tied securely in bundles. Tree stumps and large tree limbs should be cut in sections.
Furniture and other bulky items are collected on the second trash pickup day.
Residents are asked not to co-mingle their white goods, like stoves, refrigerators and washing machines, with other trash items. Hazardous waste materials such as paint thinners, turpentine, antifreeze, solvents and oil-based paints, should be disposed of separately.
For more information, call the hazardous waste hotline at 800-305-6621 for proper disposal procedures.
