BATON ROUGE - The City-Parish has activated its debris removal contract in response to recent catastrophic flooding.

Debris contractors have begun to formulate their plans for removal based on areas where flood water has generated the greatest volume of debris and the extent to which these areas can be safely accessed to perform the removal.

Mayor Holden has asked residents with debris that needs to be collected to be patient with the collection process and follow instructions closely for how and where to place their debris.

Residents of impacted areas are asked to place any storm-generated debris on the public right-of-way for collection if they are safely able to do so. The public right-of-way is the area of residential property that extends from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole or easement.

Residents are urged to separate the debris as follows:

- Construction and demolition debris (damaged components of buildings and structures such lumber and wood, wall board, glass, metal, roofing materials, tile, furnishings, and fixtures)
- Household hazardous waste (materials that are ignitable, reactive, toxic or corrosive such as paints, cleaners, pesticides, etc.)
- White goods (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, ovens, ranges, washing machines, clothes dryers and water heaters)
- Electronic waste (computers, televisions, office electronic equipment, etc.)
- Vegetative debris (whole trees, tree stumps, tree branches, tree trunks and other leafy material)

Do not place debris near a water meter vault, fire hydrant or any other above-ground utility. Until further notice, only debris placed on the public right-of-way will be eligible for collection. The attached diagram provides residents with a visual overview of the proper method to set debris on the right-of-way.

Debris collection crews will make multiple passes through the impacted areas. If residents cannot safely set out debris at this time, or if debris collection contractors cannot safely enter submerged areas, additional debris removal passes will be scheduled in the near future.

Mayor Holden urges all residents to make personal safety a top priority, and only set out debris if it is safe to do so at this time.