GONZALES – The red dust is more than just a nuisance for Gonzales residents — iT’s homes are looking more bloody than ever.
Friday brought another day of red dirt from nearby bauxite and mud ponds.
“I’ve mopped once or twice, but it’s all getting into the house.” Gonzales resident: “It’s all across everything.”
Brittany Weiss, 2 On Your Side broke the story in 2019 Residents complained about the red dirt back then. Three years later, it has not changed.
“This morning when it kicked back up again, I got up and mopped it again, and then, once the winds started to kick up again, you could just see it,” the resident complained.
WBRZ reached out Thursday to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality about the matter. Friday’s response was the following:
“Inspectors visited the site and LDEQ got in touch with them. LDEQ was informed by the company that they will be performing an assessment and repairs to the sprinkler system. I will let the company know when we have a schedule.”
The sprinkler system is key in preventing dust clouds from spreading. It dampens the red mounds and stops them from spreading each time the wind blows.
When LDEQ was asked if the company had been given a deadline for fixing the sprinklers they did not respond.
“I think it’s something they should have known right away because you get hurricanes in this area. She said that weather events are common in the area, so why would they be focusing on it now?
WBRZ also questioned LDEQ if the company responsible was facing fines.