By Chris Rosa

Mike Detraz, a pilot who flies for T&M Aviation that does aerial mosquito spraying for the parish, informed the Police Jury that many communication towers are not lighted.

T&M Aviations sprays the parish and many times the spraying is done at night.

Detraz, who lives in the Seventh Ward area, said there have been times that his plane has almost run into communication towers at night because they are not lit up.

The Police Jury has an ordinance that states a tower must be lit up that is more than 100 feet in the air.

“We have to spray at 250 feet and many towers exceed that height,” said Detraz. “Recently, I didn’t see one until it was right under my wing. This is a real danger out there.. this is a life and death situation.”

Detraz said there are towers in the parish that he will not fly by because there is no lighting - thus, the area does not get sprayed.

Police Jury attorney Paul Moresi said the towers should be lit, because of the ordinance in the parish that requires radio towers at a certain height be lighted.

The Police Jury is not sure where all of the towers are. The Federal Aviation Administration will be contacted to get a list of where the towers are.

Many communication towers were damaged for the recent hurricanes and the owner of the towers have not repaired damaged lights.

Juror Errol Domingues said pressure needs to be placed on the owners of the towers so they can hurry and repair their lights.