Settling The Dust

By Rose Ann Haven Anchor and Community Coverage

New Truck Sprays Relief Settling The Dust

Published: Tue, November 20, 2007 - 11:31 pm

Rose Ann Haven

New Truck Sprays Relief

You've heard the saying..."a little dirt never hurt anyone".
But, some folks living in Mobile county called WKRG News 5 saying a lot of dust is causing them big problems.
People who live along the unpaved portion of Grand Bay Wilmer Road South say the dust isn't just a nuisance, it's a health issue.

Nina Contestabile says, "Come out here and see what it's like...spend a little time and see the dust".

Especially during dry spells, it doesn't take long to see what she's talking about. As truck comes barrels through she says, "As you can see it gets pretty dusty with all of the equipment, and big trucks and vehicles up and down all day. This don't don't just stay here. It travels all the way up into our house.

Contestabile says instead of changing the air conditioning filter every few months, the dust is so bad..her husband changes it every two weeks. She also says she has to dust inside her home every day.

She says the dust makes it difficult to breathe. When her grandchildren visit, she has to give them medicine to clear their sinuses so they can sleep.
Dust clouds also affect visibility, making it hard to see oncoming traffic.
That's why residents depend on the county to spray the road with calcium chloride to help keep the dust down. But sometimes months pass...and the dust piles up.

Louis Contestabile says,

"They have one truck, they said it's for the county They said it's either broke down or they they put us on a list..

"I know it's an inconvenience. People need to realize when they move on a dirt road, that's one of the things that you have to contend with is dust on the road. We try our best to get to the ones we can as promptly as we can, but with limited resources it's sometimes difficult", says Mobile County Public Works Superintendent Ted Lawson.

Lawson says the county maintains more than 500 miles of unpaved road.
But, he says spraying the roads is about to get easier. The county has doubled its resources by buying a second truck.

"It will make a great difference", says Lawson.

The new truck hit the road Tuesday. In fact for now, the dust has settled for Louis and Nina Contestabile. The county sprayed their road Tuesday.

The Contestabiles have lived on Grand Bay Wilmer Road South for more than 30 years. They say the county has promised to pave their road..and part of it has been paved.

Nina Contestabile says,
"They paved the other half..which, I'm proud for those people living down there so they don't have to endure this. But, now it's either time to come on down and pave our end".

Lawson says the road is on the Pay As You Go Plan and should be paved by the end of 2008.