Richard LeBouef, executive director of St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission, estimated that in two weeks 1,200 illegally dumped tires were cleared from two sites in the parish.
LeBouef, who spoke Wednesday at the St. Landry Parish Publice Works Committee meeting in Opelousas, said he is asking the state Department of Environmental Quality to declare the illegal tire dumps as an emergency so crews can go on private property to clean them out.
The tire dumps are occurring on private property without the consent of property owners, he said.
“I don’t think they should be guilty until proven innocent,” he said of property owners.
LeBouef said the sheriff has assigned deputies to investigate the illegal dumping.
The illegal tire dumping is, in part, the result of St. Landry Parish being a large rural area, he said.
“St. Landry Parish has a lot of places to hide,” he said.
The illegal dumps have been in the Opelousas area.
Unoccupied homesteads are targets for illegal dumpers, he said. It can even be people leave on a vacation and return to find someone has dumped on their property, he said.
LeBouef also wants the parish government and the Solid Waste Commission to be reimbursed for its tire cleanup efforts.
Alvin Stelly, an Arnaudville Parish Council member, questioned why people are paying a disposal fee when they buy tires, yet the illegal dumping occurs.
In a phone call after the meeting, LeBouef placed the blame on disreputable tire shops.
At issue is the dumped tires cannot always be tracked back to a dealer, he said.
LeBouef said tire shops should have a record of what tires have been taken to be disposed.
LeBouef said he in contact with DEQ, state and federal officials to seek a remedy to the tire disposal and other illegal dumping issues.
