St. Landry Parish residents experienced delays in trash collection this past week due to severe winter weather conditions. Ice-covered roads created hazardous driving conditions, preventing trash companies from safely operating their vehicles.
"When we are dealing with a truck that weighs close to 80,000 pounds, safety becomes a major concern," said the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Executive Director Richard LeBouef. "Think about the fact that a vehicle like this has eight tires in the back and two in the front. With black ice or any frozen surface beneath it, that truck is not going to stop."
The safety of workers and residents was the top priority. While damaged equipment can be repaired or replaced, the potential loss of life is irreplaceable.
"The truck is replaceable," said LeBouef. "Insurance will take care of that. But when you have three workers operating heavy equipment on icy roads with traffic, lives are at risk."
Adding to the delays, Monday was a holiday, further impacting the trash pickup schedule.
"We follow the same schedule as banks, parish government, and similar institutions," said LeBouef. "The problem was that the snow and ice came at the worst possible time."
Routine trash pickup will be back to normal after the weekend.
