Baham Portables on Wednesday asked Mayor Bob Morris to produce correspondence or contact information regarding his asssertion that the firm cannot discharge septage into the municipal wastewater system. The company was responding to a Morris letter of Tuesday in which he claimed the La. Dept. of Environmental Quality has instructed him not to give the firm permission to dump septage into the city system at this time.

In a certified letter on Wednesday, John Baham requested that the mayor provide it with:

Any correspondence and/or name and contact information for the DEQ official instructing Morris not to issue permission for that discharge;

A copy of a Feb. 27, 2007, report allegedly stating DEQ would only allow Baham Portables to discharge septage into the system until June 2007;

Permitting procedures and requirements adopted by the city and a copy of the city's current permit stipulating permitting requirements between the city and septage dischargers.

In his letter, Morris told Baham that the firm was to see that all permits and modifications to permits required are in place.

Baham Portables was the first such company to obtain a pre-treatment plant permit from DEQ and is in the process of constructing that plant off of La. 13 north of the city.

When completed, it will treat Baham septage before it enters the city wastewater system.