[StBernard] SDT RESPONSE TO WWL-TV REPORT

[Westley Annis]

SDT RESPONSE TO WWL-TV REPORT 


http://sdtwds.com/wwlresponse103008.html <http://sdtwds.com/wwlresponse103008.html> 
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A news story on WWL TV implied that SDT benefited at taxpayer expense while operating a waste transfer station for St. Bernard Parish on Paris Road.  The Parish asked SDT to open the site in 2007 so residents rebuilding their homes could dump their new construction and demolition debris at no cost. SDT operated the site and hauled this debris to River Birch landfill at no charge to the Parish. The Parish allowed SDT to use the facility to transfer its commercial waste. SDT paid to dispose of its customers’ commercial waste.
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In the news report, Parish President Craig Taffaro questioned the amount of disposal fees the Parish was paying to River Birch landfill to dispose of residents’ new construction debris.
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SDT and the Parish have held numerous meetings in the past few months, many of which included Mr. Taffaro, about the disposal fees.  The Parish allowed SDT to use the transfer station to handle its customer’s waste. On a daily basis, SDT tracked its own trucks and estimated its loads. Amounts in excess of that were considered St. Bernard residents' new construction and demolition debris.
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SDT will continue to work with the Parish to reduce the fees and resolve any further questions.
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The St. Bernard monthly tonnage totals cited in the news report reflect residential and the new construction debris dropped off at the transfer site by residents. Very often, large trailers would dump their loads directly into the pile.
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SDT was not asked to keep records at the site.  SDT did check driver’s licenses to verify their residency. Yesterday, October 30, the Parish assigned an employee to log such information.
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SDT was never paid by the parish for improvements it made to get the transfer station operational  nor to operate the station for the parish.
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The story also included video of SDT trucks commingling French Quarter residential and commercial trash at night.  SDT would have paid disposal fees for that waste, not the City of New Orleans, since that trash was not able to be directly hauled to River Birch after hours.