Shreveport Begins Collecting Debris on Monday

SHREVEPORT, LA - You will soon be seeing some unfamiliar trucks rolling throughout Shreveport. The city has signed a deal with CERES Environmental out of Texas to take care of getting rid of all the trees and limbs that were blown down during the storm last month. 

The company plans to begin the work on Monday. Mayor Tom Arceneaux has signed the contract with CERES to get this process going asap. Public works crews estimate there's more than 100,000 cubic yards of wood waste across the community.

Back on June 16, a storm roared through during the early morning hours packing winds of as high as 80mph in some areas. The storm knocked out power to more than 250,000 Swepco customers. It took many days to get all of the power restored. Many people are still dealing with downed trees and branches

CERES specializes in debris removal after hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms and other weather-related catastrophes. They have worked for numerous local governments in South Louisiana and most recently helped clean up Austin, Texas, after a major winter storm. The City selected CERES after receiving proposals from several firms specializing in storm debris removal.

CERES is set to mobilize enough equipment and personnel to be able to collect everything that is now on the street by the end of July. The contract does call for the company to make 3 passes through the city, if needed. 

Mayor Arceneaux previously told KEEL News he hoped all the cleanup would be done by the end of August.

Be sure you don't put anything other than vegetative waste at the curb. The disposal site the city is using is only permitted to accept wood waste, not any other commingled waste (such as appliances or furniture). Mixing in other kinds of waste will only delay getting the trees and limbs off our streets.

The collected debris is being taken to a City-owned site on West 70^th Street, where it will be considerably reduced in volume by the use of massive grinding equipment and then disposed of in accordance with the requirements of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

The cost of this debris removal, including additional work being done at City parks and the Querbes Golf Course, is expected to exceed $2,000,000. The City is eligible to receive 75% reimbursement from the State of Louisiana, because Governor Edwards declared a State emergency after the June 16 storm.