NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation addressed the media Wednesday (Oct.19) to discuss allegations made by the city’s main garbage collector, Metro Service Group.
The company highlights two demands being placed on the longtime contractor for the City of New Orleans but no other company in the city in a letter sent to Director of Sanitation Matt Torri on Oct.14. It states that the company is to start collecting two days a week just as they did before and to one a week collect recycling.
Metro is calling the demands “vindictive” as they are the only contracted company demanded to comply with the requests. The letter also states that the company is to discontinue use of the established emergency transfer station meaning that truck will be required to take an hour-long drive to River Birch landfill in Jefferson Parish.
Co-owner Jimmie Woods released a statement:
“The City’s latest effort to punish Metro by prohibiting our access to the transfer station will almost certainly have unintended consequences for residents in our service area.The more time our trucks spend going to and coming from the landfill, the less time we have to collect waste along our routes. Ultimately, the residents could certainly feel the effects of this action just as much as Metro employees will.”
In early October, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after many outcries of help made to the city went unheard and without results but was met with blame.
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