More space for green waste Police Jury looks to purchase acreage for debris pit

The Avoyelles Parish Police Jury is currently looking to purchase land for a future “green waste pit.”
According to Police Jury President Kirby Roy, the proposed area is located on 17 acres on Highway One next Pookie’s Gun and Archery. Kerry Moreau, property owner, has offered to sell the property to the jury for $50,000.
The land is currently being used to haul dirt out on projects for Moreau’s dirt working company.
“I call it the lil’ Grand Canyon of Avoyelles due to the large dug out pits on the property,” Roy said.
“We will have a no burn ordinance on the property and the property will be used to place only green waste (branches and leaves).”
The site will be used by the police jury to dump large amounts of green waste after a storm and by municipalities or contractors given permission to use the site for dumping purposes.
“It will be under constant surveillance and have locked gates on both the Cocoville Road and Highway One entrances,” Roy said. “This will be an additional place to our current 10 acres used for dumping at the parish barn in Mansura now.”
There will also be no burning or trash at the new site as it is located near the Avoyelles Public Charter School and many businesses along Highway One.
“This is not a place to throw your garbage away, this is a place to help with limb, tree and big debris removal from properties in the parish,” Roy said. “It will be another free site we have to offer for clean up. It will not cost our taxpayers anything.”
The Jury is currently awaiting an appraisal of the land along with an inspection of the property of the Department of Environ-mental Quality (DEQ).
“Before we buy, we need to have DEQ's approval to dump green waste on the site,” Roy said. “There were issues with previous burning and smoke which caused issues with local businesses and the Charter School. The area is big enough where we could actually dump green waste without having to burn. The DA's office requested an appraisal of the property.”
Once the appraisal and DEQ inspections are approved, the jury will look to make the purchase of the land.
“We have old equipment we can put out there to assist municipalities and contractors in using the site,” he said. “Individuals will have to get a contractor or call us or municipality to remove the debris. We will not allow individual to drive in and throw out old trees and a few limbs. That is what the current barn property is for. We want to keep people safe when disposing their debris.”