Health officials express concern over debris

Published 7:20 pm Saturday, October 28, 2017

By Michael Stoll
mke.stoll@austindailyherald.com

The sight of piled trash and debris from Harvey still needing to be picked-up is common throughout Jefferson County, and while there are less piles of trash each day, it is still a concern for local health officials.

“I’ve never seen a delay in trash collection like this,” said County Health Authority Dr. Cecil Walkes.
Walkes expressed his concern in writing to local leaders, but has been frustrated by the seeming lack of response.

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“I’ve been so disappointed,” he said.

Judith Smith, director of health services for the Port Arthur Health Department, said that they have received calls from some concerned citizens regarding the trash and debris.

“We’ve had calls from people about dust in their neighborhoods,” she said. “Air that’s filled with mold spores can be a problem for people with respiratory issues and compromised immune systems. We urge anyone who has shortness of breath or signs of an upper respiratory infection to see a doctor or go to the emergency room as soon as possible.”

Smith said that respiratory infections increase at this time of year with the change in the weather, but officials are concerned about possible increases of those as well as an increase in reports of skin rashes.

Smith warned that people should not dig through the trash to find things.

“I saw people digging in the debris and taking furniture,” she said. “That furniture has not been properly disinfected.”

Smith advised that those who need to move debris should wear a mask to filter the air and gloves to avoid skin contact.

“You don’t want to touch objects that have been in flood waters with your bare hands,” she said. “We really don’t know what was in that flood water.”