The city's parks and yards will be contaminated with dangerous chemicals and heavy metals for years unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders a widespread cleanup of areas flooded by Hurricane Katrina, environmentalists said Thursday.
NEW ORLEANS — The city's parks and yards will be contaminated with dangerous chemicals and heavy metals for years unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders a widespread cleanup of areas flooded by Hurricane Katrina, environmentalists said Thursday.
The assessment, presented by the Natural Resources Defense Council and several Louisiana groups, was a stark contrast to statements by state and federal agencies that contamination does not appear to be widespread.
The EPA hasn't found soil contamination in New Orleans to be something warranting a major cleanup, and state regulators say they haven't found a need to remove large amounts of sediment.
Tom Harris, a toxicologist with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, said soil samples studied by the state don't justify wide-scale soil removal.
"The vast majority of the city, we see nothing that is a problem for long-term exposure," Harris said.
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The clash over the potential dangers is the latest disagreement between environmentalists and regulators over the effects of the extensive flooding and damage from Hurricane Katrina.
Environmentalists say regulators have downplayed the risks caused by environmental waivers for factories, debris disposal and oil spills. They say independent soil tests show high levels of arsenic and other contaminants throughout New Orleans.
"Until these problems are cleaned up, it's not a good idea to have people moving for the long-term into these communities," said Dr. Gina Solomon, an NRDC senior scientist.
Harris disputed the arsenic claim, saying the naturally occurring metal is often found in similar concentrations.
"It's a little irresponsible to tell people they can't go back in their houses because of the level of arsenic, because wherever they go they will find arsenic in the soil," Harris said.
He also disputed test results presented by environmental chemist Wilma Subra, who said she found that banned pesticides from a closed-down pesticide plant and contaminants from an old landfill that flooded were leaching into surrounding areas.
New Orleans-based Advocates for Environmental Human Rights hopes to persuade the EPA to order a large-scale cleanup in the city, said attorney Monique Harden. In the meantime, she said, the public should be informed of the risks and how to protect themselves.
Source: Associated Press
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