Fabricator, Dow Employee Help Solve Bayou Plaquemine Litter Problem

Plaquemine, LA - July 01, 2008

Pictured here is Plaquemine Mayor Mark "Tony" Gulotta (middle) pointing to one of the major water drainage areas that carry roadway runoff and litter into the bayou after heavy rains. Glen Patrick of Bayou Fabricators (left) and Tony Brouillette of Dow's Maintenance Technical Services (right) are assisting in the design and fabrication of the newly proposed litter catch basket system. Litter carried in these drains eventually ends up in Bayou Plaquemine, making it one of the largest litter problems in the city.

Bayou Plaquemine is one of the largest litter problems in the city due to drainage from nearby roadways and the recent increased use of the waterway with the development of the Bayou Plaquemine Waterfront Park.

Plaquemine Mayor Mark "Tony" Gulotta took a tour of the Bayou Plaquemine recently with Glen Patrick of Bayou Fabricators and Tony Brouillette with Dow's Maintenance Technical Services to survey the debris and litter problem. Patrick and Brouillette have volunteered their time to help design and fabricate a new litter catch basket system that will be placed at each drainage location into the bayou. The basket system will be designed to catch litter from the roadways after large rainfalls, which is the largest contributor of litter to the bayou.

"In the past, we tried a buoy system to capture the trash with little success," Gulotta said. "The new capture system that they are proposing can capture 90% or more of the littler that may go into the bayou."

Patrick, who has volunteered as a consultant to help solve this problem and is the designer and fabricator of the catch basket system, says a metal catch basket will be attached to each of the 8-10 runoff drains in the area. As water flows out of these drains, the litter will be caught in the baskets. The baskets will then be emptied into a small barge 10-15 times per year, particularly after hard rains. The discussions are still ongoing as how the trash will be collected onto the barges, manually or with a machine.

Tony Brouillette with Dow's Maintenance Technical Services is consulting as a subject matter expert in the fabrication and installation. The effort to clean up the Bayou Plaquemine waterway goes hand-in-hand with Dow's commitment to the beautification of Iberville Parish. Dow recently sponsored the parishes certification fee of $2900 to become an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, which Dow is a corporate sponsor donating $250,000 in 2008.

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For Editorial Information:

Gary Cambre
The Dow Chemical Company
(225) 353-8265