FACT ABOUT LANFDILL IN NEW ORLEANS EAST : NOLA Indymedia

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HURRICANE DEBRIS DISPOSAL SITE?

The new dump is located at 16600 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East, less then one mile from the communities of color and working class communities. Three landfills were previously proposed for this area. All three proposals were defeated at the zoning level.

Waste Management proposed this disposal site. Mayor Nagin suspended the zoning ordinances for this site, cutting out the City Council and public hearings. Waste Management simultaneously “donated” 22% of the dump’s revenue to the city.

The site covers 100 acres and will be 85 feet tall. The site was previously wetlands, then barrow pits dug for levees. Waste Management says that made it attractive for debris disposal. Residents worry about five other nearby barrow pits, wondering if they too will be used, turning this area into the city’s dumping grounds. Over 1000 large trucks a day will rumble down Chef Menteur Highway, the main road leading into the community.

16600 IS NOTHING MORE THAN A MANICURED HOLE IN THE GROUND.

Household waste, including the items found above, is normally placed in a Municipal Solid Waste landfill, complete with synthetic liners, leachate collection systems, groundwater monitoring systems and other protective measures. LDEQ has allowed this debris, if it is inseparable from other debris (as it always is) to be placed directly in the ground, without a permit, without community input and without the protections found in modern landfills. LDEQ calls this an “Enhanced C&D landfill.” SWDA, LDEQ Emergency Declaration #5, LDEQ Emergency Authorization.

16600 CHEF MENTEUR SITE IS A POOR SITE FOR ANY LANDFILL.

Groundwater in New Orleans East flows from one to five feet below ground. Hurricane debris will be dumped 35 feet below ground. There is a significant threat that the groundwater will intermix with the waste, become polluted, and migrate off site. Sworn declaration, Dr. Fred Lee, 4/24/06.

Water collected at the site is pumped into the Maxent Canal. This discharge will backflow toward the largely Vietnamese neighborhood, less then one mile from the site.

The area is extremely susceptible to storm surge and flooded during Katrina, as a result of a levee breach at the end of the Maxent Canal. The floodwater flowed past and over the dumpsite and then into the community. The area was the last in all of New Orleans to be de-watered. U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee Report: Why the Levees Broke.

The landfill is also adjacent to the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, the largest urban wildlife refuge in the country. The U.S. Dept. of Interior objected to the use of Recovery One, a dump a stone’s throw away from this site, for the placement of hurricane debris. Letter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Field Office, 11/2/05.

THE COMMUNITY’S VOICE WAS CUT OUT OF THIS DECISION

Mayor Nagin’s invocation of “emergency” authority, without any community input, denied the community its public hearing and councilmatic review. The US Corps of Engineers’ issuance of an “emergency” authorization, allowed the dumping of hurricane debris prior to obtaining a permit and going through public review. The LDEQ’s issuance of an “emergency” authorization to operate the dump, deprived the community of its democratic rights of public participation, including notice and comment.

REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES EXIST TO DUMPING AT THIS LOCATION

The Corps and LDEQ argue that is it too far to drive to already existing fully permitted landfills on the Westbank. LDEQ calculated a “centroid” of debris in New Orleans. This landfill is only nine miles further then the already existing and superior landfills.

Traffic during daytime removal has been identified as a problem. If the City would allow temporary debris storage sites, the debris could be collected curbside during the day by small trucks and brought to central locations. From there, huge trucks can more efficiently haul the debris at night. This “hub and spoke” method is preferred by both the EPA and the Corps and would speed up the overall clean up of New Orleans. As there is plenty of capacity at these already existing facilities, this new facility would not be needed. Besides, more trucks, or trains or barges, can move the same volume of material.

The Corps representative testified that the landfill was needed primarily to wisk away debris from New Orleans East. Temporary locations could be stationed in New Orleans East alone, and then that material hauled to the alternative locations.

HURRICANE DEBRIS CONTAINS HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD WASTE

As reported by CNN: “Buried in the mess, like toxic needles in a haystack, are paint cans, bottles of chlorine bleach, drain cleaners and other contaminates. "We calculated that there's as much as 5 million gallons of that particular waste stream," said Chuck Brown with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.” CNN, 10/05/05.

Microwaves, televisions, computers and other electronics also contain material that could be harmful to the environment, according to the EPA. CNN, 10/05/05. "If we're lucky, we'll probably get maybe 20 percent, 30 percent, somewhere right around there," said David Romero with the Environmental Protection Agency. CNN, 10/05/05.

EPA CAN NOT REMOVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF TOXIC WASTE

“Observations: Unauthorized Materials such as televisions, lawnmowers, computer equipment, waste tires, white goods, full paint cans, lead acid batteries, creosote pilings and municipal garbage were not being removed prior to being “pushed” by the bulldozer compactor.” LDEQ Gentilly C&D Landfill Assessment Inspections Summary, 12/7/05.

“[t]he delivery of materials containing numerous environmental contaminants such as lead based paint, asbestos, creosote, arsenic based wood treatment chemicals, various petroleum products, and a variety of household pesticides and cleaning chemicals would be unavoidable. Letter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Field Office, 11/2/05.

LDEQ has not studied cross sections of what is actually in the landfill, yet it claims the materials are inert. Deposition, LDEQ’S, Bijan Sharafkhani, 2/20/05, page 19.

CONCLUSION

A political decision has been made to put the permanent burden on the communities of color in New Orleans East so the inner city would not have to suffer the indignity of temporary piles. Why? Is New Orleans East worth less? Is there something they are not telling us?

The Corps has recently admitted that it costs an additional $2 per yard to haul the debris over 15 miles… isn’t our safety worth it? And the City, who stands to gain economically from the use of this site, stands in the way by refusing temporary piles. Is that fair? Will our leaders support environmental justice?
CONTACT: CITIZENS FOR A STRONG NEW ORLEANS EAST – (504) 254-4400