Denham Springs wraps up Isaac debris cleanup

DENHAM SPRINGS — Crews will complete hurricane debris cleanup in the city Wednesday, according to contractors.

City officials said they have arranged to have the vegetative debris chipped into mulch.

Also Wednesday, workers will begin cutting dangerous trees and limbs on city property and in public rights of way, said Gary Brooks of Thompson Consulting Services, which is handling monitoring of the cleanup for the city.

The dangerous trees will be cut flush with the ground, Brooks told the City Council on Monday night.

After completion of the debris pickup, only the debris cut by the tree crews will be hauled away, Brooks said.

So far, cleanup crews have hauled away about 8,200 yards of limbs, cut wood, leaves and other vegetative waste from where residents piled it next to city streets, he said.

Crews have also hauled away 530 yards of demolition debris from Hurricane Isaac , Brooks said.

The city Monday night approved an amendment to its contract with Ceres Environmental Services Inc., the company that has handled the debris hauling.

Under the amended contract, the company will bring in equipment to chip and grind the debris that it has collected since the storm.

Ceres will haul the chipped wood to the City Street Department where it will be stored, the contract states.

After recent hurricanes, Denham Springs has had dead trees and limbs chipped into mulch and has used the resulting material for landscaping at parks and around other city facilities.