Luke Roger completes Eagle project

While many teens spent one of the last weekends before the start of the new school year relaxing, Luke Roger took a different path.
Roger, 15, a member of Boy Scout Troop 85 in Abbeville, spent this past Saturday placing markers on storm drains.
The effort is a big step in Roger’s quest to become an Eagle Scout. Each scout must complete a project on his way to reaching the high honor.
Roger’s project resulted in the placing of more than 300 markers in downtown Abbeville and the surrounding area. The markers state “No Dumping, Drains to River.” The storm drain markers promote awareness about river contamination which emanates from polluted stormwater.
“It went very well,” Roger said. “It only took about four hours.”
Members of Troop 85 and others helped.
“We had 20 scouts 10 adults show up,” Roger said. “We spread the word and people responded.
“I am happy that others were interested in what I was trying to do.”
What Roger, a 10th-grade honor student at St. Thomas More, is doing is creating awareness about river contamination. Much of that emanates from polluted stormwater, he said.
“Over half of the nation’s waterbodies are impaired and the Vermilion River is one of these,” Roger said. “According to the EPA, the leading cause of river impairment is from ‘non-point source’ pollution which is essentially storm water.”
The storm drains in Abbeville are routed directly to the river, not the wastewater treatment plant.
“When grease, oil, or yard clippings are dumped into the storm drains,” Roger said, “these pollutants go straight to the river which continues the cycle of impairment.
“My goal is to raise awareness about storm water pollution and ultimately help the Vermilion River to recover from its impaired status.”
Richard Primeaux of Primeaux, Touchet and Associates, who is also an engineer for the City of Abbeville, served as a mentor for Roger during the project. Primeaux recently told the Abbeville City Council members, who allowed Roger to conduct the project in the city, that the project has tremendous merit.
“This project will have a big impact,” Primeaux said. “Several other Boy Scout troops are copying his project. He’s now up for an environmental special award from the Boy Scouts.
“It seems like this project of his has turned into something pretty good for everybody.”
Roger thanked everyone who played a part in making the project work.
“I would like to thank the City of Abbeville for their support of the project as well as Richard Primeaux, of Primeaux, Touchet and Associates, for serving as his mentor,” Roger said. “The major corporate sponsors for this project were Broussard Brothers, Planters Rice Mill, and Enviro-Sense.
“Many other friends and family members contributed as well to make this project successful.”
Roger received a grant from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to provide most of the storm drain markers.
With a bow placed nicely on his project, Roger is that much closer to reaching a Boy Scout milestone.
“I have to submit a few final reports,” Roger explained. “I have to do some scout master conferences. I have to complete an application and a board review of the council.
“If they approve all of that, then I am an Eagle Scout.”
That process could take a few weeks. When he officially becomes an Eagle Scout, it will be worth all the effort and waiting.
“This is a huge honor for me,” Roger said. “There aren’t that many who reach it. I think it’s somewhere around 30 percent of boys who join Scouts get this far.
“It’s a hard achievement to reach, but is definitely worth it in my eyes.”