One city made sure that its BP settlement money would not go to waste by buying new garbage trucks.
The City of Mobile, Ala. used about $4.7 million it received as part of a settlement from the BP oil spill disaster to buy nine new trash trucks.
City employees and residents say the new trucks are a much needed addition to an old fleet which was often plagued with so many breakdowns that pickup times were delayed and workers had to put in extra hours to finish a route.
“We didn’t have anything to work with,” refuse truck driver John Hall told Lagniappe Weekly. “Everything was broken down. It was frustrating. It made it rough. When you did get home you were exhausted. You’d have one day off and Sunday morning you had to pay respect to the Lord.”
Public Works Supervisor Eddie Armstead reported that the new trucks, which were acquired about five months ago, are reducing complaints from residents who’ve been frustrated by delays from older and less reliable trucks.
“All we needed was some new trucks,” Armstead explained. “That cut down on a lot of problems.”
