NEW ORLEANS — Litterbugs better smile because they could soon be caught on camera. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is set to install cameras this week to catch those dumping tires and other materials in New Orleans East.
Illegal dumping in New Orleans East, at Michoud Boulevard, is a known problem; WWL Louisiana has covered several stories about the issue and the clean-up. DOTD says enough is enough, this week they're taking steps to catch people in the act.
"Over the better part of a year and a half, the department has gone over there and cleaned up over 10,000 tires, countless piles of debris, refrigeration equipment, sheetrock, and construction materials," Scott Boyle with the agency said.
WWL Louisiana has been reporting on illegal tire dumping for years, including a pile of tires from October 2022. City council passed stricter penalties, including seizing vehicles of those who dump tires. Yet, in 2024, tires litter Michoud Blvd., some even in the middle of the road. Cardboard fridge boxes piled up like a tower, and even a mattress was thrown out.
"At its worst, we were going there every weekend for a number of months," Boyle said. This week, the agency will install six cameras in strategic locations at the I-10 Michoud interchange.
"It's going to be surveillance, it's going to be cameras, it's going to be catching individuals breaking the law in the act," Boyle said.
DOTD is working with law enforcement and Wildlife and Fisheries, according to Boyle. The cameras will record, and they'll be monitoring.
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