Big Story: Addressing a burden

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THE BIG STORY

Addressing a burden

WHAT YOU SAW: State and local officials gathered at the Burden Museum and Gardens on Aug. 16 to announce major cleanup efforts that will take place there and at two other Baton Rouge locations, along with the completion of a state task force report focused on litter prevention.

WHY IT MATTERS: Litter creates a flood hazard when it clogs waterways and drainage systems, and “quality of place” can be an important factor when it comes to attracting and retaining businesses and residents. The Burden Center event may be a sign that public officials and the general public are starting to treat litter as a serious issue in the Capital Region and statewide.

WHY IT LOOKED FAMILIAR: The Burden pit where Gov. John Bel Edwards, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and LSU officials held their press conference was featured last year in a Business Report cover story about Baton Rouge’s litter problem.

HE SAID IT: “The governor’s press conference was one of the best days of my life,” says Jeff Kuehny (pictured), resident director of the Burden Center and a co-founder of the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition. “People are sick of living in filth. They’re sick of seeing our beautiful environment spoiled, and everybody wants to do something about it.”

THE DETAILS: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $500,000 to the LSU AgCenter to implement litter abatement projects at three demonstration sites across Baton Rouge: Burden, the Capitol Lakes and Bayou Fountain at BREC’s Highland Road Park. • The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality provided $400,000 in supplemental funding while the lieutenant governor’s office kicked in $75,000. • The Governor’s Litter Abatement and Beautification Task Force submitted its initial report with recommendations for establishing and sustaining litter prevention efforts across Louisiana, which include building public awareness, strengthening anti-litter enforcement efforts and improving waste disposal and recycling practices.

THE PROBLEM: While the scope of the litter problem is hard to define, a few data points from the first half of this year give some idea. East Baton Rouge Parish’s maintenance department during that time reports collecting: • 9,300 bags of trash on weekend cleanups. • 905 tons of illegally dumped trash from rights of way, including 2,100 tires. • 44 tons of trash from roadways before mowing.

These numbers don’t include

MARIE CONSTANTIN anti-blight efforts on private property.

THE HISTORY: The past 40 years have featured multiple local efforts that were described as a “war on litter” or something along those lines. This time, advocates hope to build and maintain the momentum behind their movement.

NEW PERSPECTIVE: Advocates such as the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition are explicitly tying the litter problem to drainage and flooding, which gives the issue an urgency beyond aesthetics.

“Flooding is something that affects everyone,” says Johanna Landreneau, a Baton Rouge attorney who founded Clean Pelican, an anti-litter nonprofit, about two years ago. “In 2016, everyone flooded, [or] if they didn’t have flooding in their house, they knew someone who did.”

MEETING THE CHALLENGE:

Broome has launched a local task force for East Baton Rouge Parish bringing together business, nonprofit and government stakeholders. • Their efforts will include a public awareness campaign and a close look at enforcement. • State lawmakers this year passed legislation that gives municipalities the option to establish stormwater utilities and charge fees for litter abatement and flood prevention, which EBR officials will consider later this year as part of a stormwater management plan.

LAST WORD: “What we’re trying to do is activate as many people as possible,” says Mark Armstrong, a spokesperson for Broome’s administration. “We’ve got to challenge each other.”