NEW ORLEANS — Tires, couches, chairs and a lot of trash sits abandoned in New Orleans East. Steps are being taken to make the mess go away, but you wouldn’t know in some parts of the neighborhood.
Michoud Boulevard used to have dozens of tires by the I-10 exit ramp. Today, there are just a few, but from above, you can see how big the problem still is.
And on Old Gentilly near Almonaster, it’s not much better.
“For 18 years now, every day, it’s been tires, garbage, couches, lounge chairs, boats,” Jerry Fulton with Whitney’s Industrial Auto Wreckers said.
“People like Fulton feel forgotten, but City officials say that’s not the case.
“We’re coming. Hang in there,” Matt Torri, deputy director for the Department of Sanitation said. “Look at the successes we’ve had and know that change is actually happening. So, be patient.”
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell launched the Clean Up NOLA initiative last year. It targets major areas in the city that are known issues and tries to clean it up. Crews add trash cans, remove graffiti and tow abandoned vehicles, but the fight is ongoing.
“It has been a constant battle removing litter and illegal dumping,” Torri said. “Where we remove it, more litter and debris comes back.”
So The City is taking it a step further by adding crime cameras in those areas. If you’re caught dumping, they’ll arrest you and prosecute you.
But for now, Jerry Fulton’s problems persist.