New borrow pit rules adopted

An ordinance passed at the Aug. 1 parish council meeting imposes greater control of borrow pits in the parish.
There will be greater scrutiny of locations, including engineering studies, before the fill-removal sites will be issued a permit. Fees will be increased to fund engineering studies and the posting of a bond will be required to ensure that site restoration provisions are met.
The wall slope and depth of excavations will be controlled to reduce erosion and a 25-foot setback from property lines will be required. The suitability of surrounding roads to handle heavy trucks will also be taken into consideration. Certain digging for ponds or for fill to be used on the same property will be exempted from some provisions of the new ordinance.
The council has spent several months fine-tuning the new regulations so they will not place an undue burden on contractors or slow the progress of road construction or other projects that require fill dirt.
In some places, old pits have eroded into neighboring properties. Nearby residents say they can create a dangerous situation and reduce property values. Until this action, St. Martin Parish was one the few in Acadiana that had not yet instituted such controls.