Debris pickup begins Monday

Storm debris pickup will begin in the city-parish starting Monday in the 70815 and 70805 ZIP codes of East Baton Rouge Parish, said Bob Hearn, environmental engineer with the city-parish Department of Public Works.

People are reminded to make sure to separate woody debris from other storm debris for quicker pickup. Because the wood debris is recycled and is picked up first, if there is other trash mixed into the vegetation it will be left for pickup until much later, he said.

Some tips for helping debris cleanup crews do their work include:

• Pile debris as neatly as possible near the curb but not on the street. Try to keep piles under three feet in height.
• Don’t place debris near mailboxes, utility poles, water meters or other fixtures because these can get damaged while the material is being picked up.
• Don’t place debris piles under low wires or overhanging tree limbs because the debris loaders can’t use the collection arm safely in these conditions.
• Limbs and branches need to be cut to a manageable size, with 10 feet long being the maximum.