Link to Reference: The U.S. EPA and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, (MDEQ) 11/11/05 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- completed a water quality study along major bay systems on the Mississippi coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that showed few chemicals of concern in bays and rivers where samples were taken.
- Overall, the sampling data show that few water quality criteria were exceeded during the study. In areas where elevated contamination levels were found
- To determine if there may be any long term effects of the hurricane, additional data will be collected and compiled with existing data.

Water

WASHINGTON (11/11/05) -- The U.S. EPA and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have completed a water quality study along major bay systems on the Mississippi coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that showed few chemicals of concern in bays and rivers where samples were taken.

The study looked for any serious short term problems with water quality. EPA and MDEQ specifically targeted areas with the greatest potential for environmental harm because of the proximity to industrial or municipal areas. Overall, the sampling data show that few water quality criteria were exceeded during the study. In areas where elevated contamination levels were found, EPA and MDEQ will continue to evaluate the need for additional site specific studies to determine if there are any further adverse environmental impacts. Samples collected show bacteria concentrations at or below levels EPA considers suitable for swimming.

To determine if there may be any long term effects of the hurricane, additional data will be collected and compiled with existing data.

The study encompassed major bay systems on the Mississippi coast including Bangs Lake, Bayou Casotte, the Pascagoula and West Pascagoula River systems, the Back Bay of Biloxi, St. Louis Bay, and the Pearl River. 

The full report is available online. Testing results by state, county or testing site can be viewed by using EnviroMapper.
Link to Reference: Government of the United States of America, 21 Nov 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- FEMA has distributed nearly $4.4 billion in federal aid to more than 1.4 million households
- More than 14,000 federal personnel have been deployed to help state and local officials along the Gulf Coast recover from Katrina and Rita.
- The United States Coast Guard rescued more than 33,000 lives in the wake of Katrina.

Water

President George W. Bush declared major disasters for areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is actively managing federal assistance to these affected communities to speed response and save lives.

FEMA - FEMA has distributed nearly $4.4 billion in federal aid to more than 1.4 million households. A record-setting 44 states and the District of Columbia have been given emergency declarations to cover expenses related to sheltering millions of evacuees forced from their homes by Katrina and Rita.

FEMA has thousands of phone operators taking registrations on its 24-hour phone bank. Callers may register faster by calling during the off hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Those registering should be ready, if able, to provide their Social Security number, insurance information, financial information, contact information and their direct deposit information. Registration will remain open for many months to ensure that all citizens eligible for assistance have had the opportunity to apply.

More than 14,000 federal personnel have been deployed to help state and local officials along the Gulf Coast recover from Katrina and Rita.

FEMA's Transitional Housing Assistance Program has provided nearly $1.2 million in cash assistance to eligible households to help with their immediate housing needs.

FEMA established a Housing Area Command to oversee all temporary housing operations across the Hurricane Katrina impacted areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Housing Strike Teams are being readied for deployment into each state to begin the process of quantifying temporary housing needs.

Individuals in declared counties can register online for disaster assistance at www.fema.gov or call FEMA’s toll free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Coast Guard - The United States Coast Guard rescued more than 33,000 lives in the wake of Katrina.

Thousands of Coast Guard men and women from around the nation continue conducting waterway reconstitution and environmental impact assessment operations from Florida to Louisiana with other federal, state and local agencies.

A multi-agency task force of environmental response experts continue to remedy as many as 575 cases of hazardous materials and oil pollution in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. This federal, state and local task force is comprised of 10 agencies representing the U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as Florida, Alabama and Mississippi state environmental conservation and protection departments. Various commercial and private contractors have been enlisted as well.

The Coast Guard is conducting port surveys and moving assets into these ports to restore buoys, lights, and aids-to-navigation, thus allowing maritime traffic to safely navigate.

Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - U.S. Customs and Border Protection(CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) trucks delivered several thousand items of clothing to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Jackson, Miss., Houston and San Antonio, Texas. The clothing, seized in violations of U.S. trademark laws is worth estimated at over $17 million.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's - Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) has received numerous questions regarding international students who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. ICE has established a toll free number (800-961-5294) for students who are attending a school that is affected by Hurricane Katrina and are unable to contact their Designated School official. Students can also email SEVIS at SEVIS.Source@dhs.gov.

National Guard - More than 50,000 National Guard members responded to state active duty in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Guardsmen are trained professionals and bring great expertise and sensitivity to their mission in support of local law enforcement.

National Guard soldiers flying helicopters from dawn to dusk are providing a critical air bridge to communities throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast with much needed supplies of military rations, water and ice. Aircrews are flying four to 15 missions per day, depending on the distance of their drops from the busy Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center airfield.

The Mississippi Air National Guard has erected a transportable medical center on the grounds of the Hancock County Hospital - a stopgap until county medical organizations can operate again.

National Guard helicopters evacuated hundreds of sick and injured persons out of the devastated greater New Orleans area.

Department of Defense - The Defense Department continues to tailor its forces supporting hurricane relief operations as needed to provide the critical capabilities required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies. Over 72,000 military personnel (22,000 active-duty troops and more than 50,000 National Guardsmen) - have provided critical security, logistical and other support.

Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina, the military’s on-scene command in support of FEMA, has shifted to the USS Iwo Jima, docked in New Orleans. The Navy amphibious assault ship allows commanders and their civilian counterparts to communicate with rescuers and assistance personnel across the region. Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, commander of the First Army in Fort Gillem, Ga., is the JTF-Commander.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is performing a detailed assessment of about 350 miles of hurricane levee and developing a comprehensive, prioritized plan to repair it and the pumping stations that support New Orleans and surrounding areas. State and local leaders are being informed as assessments are being completed and repairs are made. The Corps continues to work with state and local leaders to make assessments and repairs of the system.

The Department of Defense made available a fleet of approximately 50 helicopters to support FEMA's operations. Eight civilian swift water rescue teams were transferred from California to assist with recovery operations.

DOD has delivered more than 24.2 million liters of water, 67 million pounds of ice, and 13.6 million individually packaged military rations to areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Department of Agriculture - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has deployed 2,760 Forest Service employees who are trained in rescue and response to large-scale incidents to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These teams have expertise in setting up logistics staging areas, distribution of food products and debris removal.

USDA is making more than $170 million in emergency assistance available to agricultural producers suffering from Hurricane Katrina. In addition, USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is implementing immediate changes to its Marketing Assistance Loan Program due to the hurricane. These changes will allow producers to obtain loans for "on-farm" grain storage on the ground in addition to grain bins and other normally approved structures.

USDA has delivered or has on the way more than 300 trucks containing over 12 million pounds of food (canned vegetables, fruits, cheese and meats) and baby food and formula products, with truckloads of additional supplies being prepared for delivery to affected communities.

USDA has also authorized states to pre-load electronic food benefit cards with $50 to immediately purchase food even before application s have been processed to receive complete benefits. These cards can be used by displaced residents as they move from shelters to temporary housing.

USDA Rural Development will provide a six-month moratorium on payments for approximately 50,000 low-income residents who have Rural Development Single Family Housing Loans in the affected areas. USDA will also be taking an inventory of vacant USDA housing to help accommodate displaced residents."

Department of Commerce - The Department of Commerce has established the Hurricane Contracting Information Center (HCIC) to help U.S. businesses, especially minority, women and small businesses participate in the Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts. The HCIC is an interagency effort to provide a centralized location for information and services available throughout the government geared to help in the contracting process. HCIC also staffs a toll-free number (1-888-4USADOC or 1-888-487-2362) to provide information on rebuilding opportunities.

Commerce has deployed three National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) response teams to survey priority channel and port locations. The survey products produced by these teams will help determine when ports can be reopened. NOAA will also be working to determine the impacts of the storm on living marine resources, including commercial and recreational fisheries that are economically important to the region.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is working with FEMA to lend its technical expertise from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory to asses structural damage and provide assistance. NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) will review the impact of the hurricane on small manufacturers in those areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama affected by the storm.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), is coordinating with FEMA and identifying resources to deploy. Up to $7 million in FY 2005 funds could be deployed to build new/improved infrastructure to aid in economic recovery.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), will utilize the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), as needed, to prioritize procurement of goods and services for the restoration effort -- temporary housing and plastic sheeting are likely major requirements.

Department of Education - has launched Hurricane Help for Schools, to help match schools with displaced students in need with companies, organizations, other schools and individuals willing to donate. In less than a week, more than 45 matches have already occurred between schools and organizations across the U.S.

The Department of Education has modified rules for providing Federal student aid to transfer students who transfer from a postsecondary educational institution that is not operating due to the hurricane to another institution.

The Department of Education has extended application filing dates for Federal student aid for students impacted by the hurricane and extended various reporting dates required of postsecondary educational institutions.

The Department of Education has also directed student loan holders to grant an automatic three-month forbearance to any borrower whose address is in a FEMA declared disaster county.

Department of Energy - Department of Energy (DOE)Secretary Samuel Bodman has authorized the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. DOE has also expanded their gas gouging reporting system to include a 1-800 telephone number of 1-800-244-3301or online at http://gaswatch.energy.gov/.

DOE's Office of Science has established a temporary program to match interested displaced students and faculty researchers -- who may be eligible regardless of current DOE funding status -- with research programs that currently receive grants from the Office of Science. The clearinghouse for the activity is the DOE Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which will match hosts with those desiring to participate and will consider on a case basis modest supplemental funding to existing programs to facilitate this process. For further information, those interested may contact Christopher.Yetter@science.doe.gov or call (301) 903-4353. They may also gain additional information at the Oak Ridge web site at www.orau.gov/doeedrelief/.

Department of Health and Human Services - is offering streamlined access to benefits for Hurricane Katrina victims. As part of this streamlining process, states will be given the flexibility to enroll evacuees without requiring documents such as tax returns or proof of residency. Evacuees who have lost all identification and records should be able to give their address or other simple form of attestation to be eligible. The special evacuee status will apply to the full range of federal benefits administered by the states, including HHS programs that provide services through Medicaid, family assistance through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), child care support, foster care assistance, mental health services and substance abuse treatment services.

HHS has summarized the federal payments available for providing health care services to hurricane evacuees and for rebuilding health care infrastructure.

HHS has announced all children from birth to 18 years old displaced by Hurricane Katrina are eligible to receive free vaccines through the federally-run Vaccines for Children program (VFC), regardless of whether they are staying at shelters, hotels, or with family and friends and regardless of previous health insurance coverage status. Managed by HHS’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the VFC helps families of children who may not otherwise have access to vaccines by providing free vaccines to doctors who serve them.

HHS has declared a public health emergency for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas . This action allows the Department to waive certain Medicare, Medicaid, State Child Health Insurance Program, and HIPAA requirements as well as make grants and enter into contracts more expeditiously during this emergency.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has adopted a series of emergency policy changes to accommodate the needs of thousands of displaced Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) beneficiaries who have fled Hurricane Katrina and need urgent medical attention in their new host states.

HHS is providing $15 million in emergency funding to assist Head Start and Early Head Start grantees in providing services to children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. These funds will enable Head Start and Early Head Start grantees to provide services to evacuee children and families until October 11, 2005. To receive services, a family must have been forced to leave their home because of Hurricane Katrina.

HHS announced the availability of a toll-free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By dialing 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers to the hotline will receive counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network. HHS also is providing $600,000 in emergency grants to Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi to ensure that mental health assessment and crisis counseling are available in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

The federal government will speed up the award of grants to establish 26 new health center sites in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Approximately $2.3 million in fiscal year 2005 funds to these sites will get health care resources up and running quickly in disaster areas and neighboring states treating evacuees from the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast.

The Office of The Surgeon General and the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness to mobilize and identify healthcare professionals and relief personnel to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. They have registered over 30,000 medical volunteers to assist in recovery measures.

HHS continues to ship pallets of basic first aid materials and supplies to the area, and the Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration are augmenting state and local public health resources -- including chemical and toxicology teams, sanitation and public health teams, epidemiology teams and food safety teams.

Department of Housing and Urban Development - has established a single toll-free housing hotline, 1-888-297-8685, to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina with all housing concerns. This number operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT, seven days a week.

HUD has partnered with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) to identify thousands of available homes to temporarily house displaced families in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Initially, the Department identified nearly 5,000 vacant single-family HUD-owned properties in 11 states near the affected areas.

Department of the Interior - The Department of the Interior has deployed 1,489 personnel in response to Hurricane Katrina. Emergency response activities include interagency assistance under the National Response Plan; assuring public safety on Departmental lands and providing mutual aid to surrounding communities; and restoring capability of offices in the disaster areas to execute essential functions.

United States Geological Survey employees are repairing and replacing damaged stream gauges throughout the region to restore flood warning capacity; coordinating with other federal agencies to provide geospatial information, maps, satellite images and scientific assessments to help response and recovery operations; and sampling and testing water pumped out of New Orleans and into Lake Pontchartrain.

Department of Justice - has established the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud and insurance fraud. Justice has also set up a page on how to protect against fraud.

The U.S. Department of Justice is working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to set up a national hotline to locate missing hurricane victims at 1-888-544-5475.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has obtained the authority to provide states access to the FBI's criminal history database for the purpose of conducting background checks on any volunteer, relief worker, or evacuee associated with Hurricane Katrina, who would have access to children. The FBI is waiving its $24.00 fee that is normally charged for fingerprint-based checks relating to employment, licensing, and suitability. This limited authority expires on November 7, 2005 and requires a state or federal statute authorizing a fingerprint-based criminal history background check for individuals with access to children.

Department of Labor - has three programs to offer immediate income assistance to workers displaced by Hurricane Katrina 1) Unemployment Insurance for workers who lost their jobs because of Hurricane Katrina; 2) Disaster Unemployment Insurance for the newly employed and self-employed not normally eligible for unemployment insurance and, 3) Temporary jobs funded through National Emergency Grants.

For information on how to access these benefits, individuals can call DOL's national toll free number: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365). For those able to access the internet, information can also be found on DOL's website (www.dol.gov). DOL has also dispatched teams to all evacuee sites, and has staff canvassing neighborhoods, churches, parishes and hospitals to advertise these benefits. Mobile “One-Stop” vans have been deployed to FEMA sites, including one in the parking lot of the Houston Astrodome.

DOL has created the Katrina Recovery Job Connection, a new resource focused on supporting the transition back into employment for individuals impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The site’s purpose is to connect job seekers with employers interested in hiring them for either new permanent employment or for jobs related to the cleanup, recovery and rebuilding process in hurricane-impacted areas. While the site is intended to complement the efforts at the state and local level to connect workers and jobs in the impacted areas, it is also intended to make individuals evacuated to other states aware of opportunities in their home state. Both employers and job seekers are encouraged to visit the site to post and view listings of available jobs.

DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service, has announced an extension of a number of deadlines related to health plan coverage, giving workers and employers affected by Hurricane Katrina additional time to make critical decisions regarding health coverage.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has deployed safety and health professionals to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to provide technical assistance to recovery workers in their ongoing cleanup efforts along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

OSHA has been contacting major power companies in the affected areas to provide safety briefings to employees at power restoration staging areas.

OSHA has released public service announcements to inform workers about hazards related to restoration and cleanup.

OSHA has identified home supply and construction stores in the affected areas in order to distribute safety and health fact sheets and materials to these locations.

Department of State - The Department of State advises concerned family members of foreign nationals residing or traveling in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina to try to reach their family members by phone, email, or other available means. If family member cannot be reached, the State Department recommends they contact their embassy in Washington, D.C. for assistance.

Reports from the region indicate that some phone lines are working but experiencing heavy call volume, so family members are encouraged to keep trying if lines are busy.

Department of Transportation - The Department of Transportation (DOT) is working closely with state and local authorities, federal partners, and private sector transportation service providers to assess damage to transportation infrastructure and assist in immediate recovery efforts.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will allow transit agencies affected by Hurricane Katrina to make use of federal funds to buy supplies, repair buses or equipment, or begin reconstruction without having to use matching local funds until further notice.

Work on repairing the Twin Spans Bridge that carries traffic on Interstate-10 between New Orleans and Slidell, La., has begun following the September 9th award of a $31 million contract to Boh Brothers Construction of New Orleans. The eastbound span will be repaired first, providing one lane of traffic in each direction.The contract requires work to be completed within 45 days. The second phase of the work will result in repair of the westbound span which, along with the eastbound span, will provide two-lane traffic in each direction within 120 days.

The Department has secured more than 1,639 trucks to support the delivery of more than 3,731 truckloads of goods, including more than 25 million MREs (meals ready to eat), more than 31 million liters of water, 56,400 tarps, more than 19 million pounds of ice and 215,000 blankets.

DOT has also deployed teams from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Aviation Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to help clear roads and inspect bridges, establish communications and increase operations at major airports, and to move generators to pipeline pumping stations to restore the flow of petroleum products to the southeast.

Department of Treasury - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced special relief for taxpayers in the Presidential Disaster Areas struck by the hurricane. These taxpayers generally will have until October 31 to file tax returns and submit tax payments. The IRS will stop interest and any late filing or late payment penalties that would otherwise apply. This relief includes the September 15 due date for estimated taxes and for calendar-year corporate returns with automatic extensions.

Several thousand IRS telephone operators are helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) answer telephone calls from Hurricane Katrina victims calling to register for disaster assistance.

The IRS has also established a separate toll-free number for Katrina victims with tax issues. That number is 1-866-562-5227.

Office of The Comptroller of the Currency - The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is working with federal and state banking agencies and other organizations to support the operations and recovery of national banks in the affected region, to support citizens, and to ensure the safety and soundness of available banking resources. Questions regarding national bank issues can be directed to 1-800-613-6743, or by e-mail at: customer.assistance@occ.treas.gov. Additional information for bankers and bank customers is available at http://www.occ.gov/katrina.htm.

The Office of Thrift Supervision has setup a toll-free hotline for thrift institutions and their customers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Call (1-800-958-0655) between the hours of 8:00am to 5:30pm CST, Monday to Friday. The Office of Thrift Supervision is the primary regulator of all federally chartered and many state-chartered thrift institutions, which includes savings banks and savings and loan associations.

Department of Veterans Affairs - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has successfully evacuated the most critically ill patients from the VA medical center in New Orleans . V A officials are establishing procedures for family members to locate inpatients evacuated from the affected facilities. Officials are also finalizing procedures for veterans from the hurricane area to receive benefits checks and prescription drugs, and to ensure that VA employees continue to be paid.

Mobile clinics are now open in South Mississippi and Louisiana to provide medical treatment to veterans displaced by Hurricane Katrina. For more information about the mobile clinics, veterans can call 1-800-949-1009 ext. 6004. Veterans currently enrolled in a standing VA clinic that is operational should continue to seek treatment at that clinic.

Environmental Protection Agency - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formed a joint task force to advise local and state officials of the potential health and environmental risks associated with returning to the City of New Orleans. The initial Environmental Health Needs and Habitability Assessment issued 9/17 identifies a number of barriers to be overcome and critical decisions to be made prior to reinhabiting New Orleans.

The EPA has temporarily waived standards for gasoline and diesel fuels in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida under the Clean Air Act. Waivers have also been sent to the Governors of the 46 remaining states and territories providing temporary relief from volatility and sulfur standards.

These waivers will ensure that fuel is available throughout the country to address public health issues and emergency vehicle supply needs. They will be effective through September 15 and only apply to volatility standards - the rate at which fuel evaporates - and the amount of sulfur in fuel.

EPA, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, is posting data from New Orleans flood water samples of chemical and biological analysis which was validated through a quality assurance process to ensure scientific accuracy. The results show the public and emergency responders should avoid contact with the standing water and are publicly available at the EPA website - http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/index.html. Daily sampling is ongoing and EPA, in coordination with federal, state and local agencies, will release data as it becomes available.

EPA continues assessment of damage to local drinking systems and providing technical assistance to help restore service in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. As of 9/19, EPA has determined that 522 of the facilities in Louisiana are operational, 26 are operating on a boil water notice and 135 are either inoperable or their status is unknown. In the Mississippi affected area, there are a total of 1,368 drinking water facilities that served approximately 3,219,690 people. EPA has determined that 1,207 of these facilities are operational, 118 are operating on a boil water notice and 43 are either inoperable or their status is unknown. In the Alabama affected area, there are a total of 72 drinking water facilities that served approximately 960,682 people. EPA has determined that all 72 of these facilities are operational. It should be noted that “operational” facilities may still be in need of repair or reconstruction.

EPA emergency and response personnel are helping assess the damage and prepare to support cleanup in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Teams are traveling to affected areas and conducting aerial assessments.

Federal Communications Commission is facilitating continuing service for customers of wireline carriers that are unable to provide service due to Hurricane Katrina. The Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau has adopted an order that temporarily waives certain carrier change requirements. This will allow affected carriers to temporarily transfer customers to those carriers with working facilities while restoration efforts are under way, with minimum inconvenience and burden on customers.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is working cooperatively with all of the state and federal banking agencies and other organizations to determine the status of the financial institutions located in the affected areas and has established a 24-hour consumer hotline and a dedicated web page that includes bank branch information for FDIC-insured institutions in damaged areas. This and other information for consumers and bankers is available on the FDIC Web site (link above) or by calling the FDIC's toll-free Call Center at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342).

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has pledged vigilant oversight of tight winter natural gas supplies to prevent market manipulation and increased prices. FERC has also released a natural gas price situation report. It has also granted permission to reroute 300,000 Mcf of natural gas shut in by the Hurricane Katrina to ease natural gas supplies.

General Services Administration - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has updated links to Web sites with useful information for victims of the hurricane and interested citizens on the federal government's official portal, www.FirstGov.gov and its Spanish-language counterpart, FirstGov.gov en Español .

GSA has also been providing supplies and services to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the interagency community in support of the relief effort for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

GSA hotlines are available to federal customers 24/7 in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina allowing them to access information related to buildings, products, services, technology, or other relevant issues. For Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky the number is: (404) 224-2222; for Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico the number is: (817) 978-2210. Customers may also send an e-mail to actiongsa@gsa.gov.

National Archives and Records Administration - is offering expedited services to provide federal civilian and military personnel affected by Hurricane Katrina with necessary copies of documents. NARA is also offering document recovery advice to federal agencies and courts in the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Office of Personnel Management - The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will establish an emergency leave transfer program to assist federal employees affected by Hurricane Katrina. OPM has also implemented expedited procedures for replacing monthly retirement annuity checks not received.

OPM has set up a new toll-free number for current and retired Federal employees and annuitants who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina to answer questions about health insurance, life insurance, status on paychecks, retiree annuity payments, and disability issues. The toll-free number, 1-800-307-8298, is available between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Central Time.

The Peace Corps, in response to a request from FEMA, has deployed close to 200 Crisis Corps Volunteers in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas to assist victims with their applications for federal aid. The Peace Corps continues to provide Crisis Corps Volunteers as resources to FEMA in the affected areas.

Small Business Administration - Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace the primary residence. Loans of up to $40,000 are available to renters and homeowners to cover losses to personal property like clothing, appliances and furniture. The interest rate is 2.68 percent with 30 year terms and the loans are aimed at covering losses not fully covered by insurance.

Businesses of all sizes may apply for an SBA disaster loan of up to $1.5 million to cover damages to the property, machinery, inventory, etc. Economic injury disaster loans may be used to pay bills or meet operating expenses. The interest rate on both the SBA business disaster loans are 4 percent, with up to 30 year terms.

To qualify for any kind of federal assistance, residents and business owners in the disaster areas must contact FEMA first at 1-800-621-FEMA. For more information on SBA's disaster loan program call 1-800-659-2955 or visit the Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster.

The Social Security Administration has issued 30,000 checks to evacuees who are not able to receive their monthly benefits, whether by mail or direct deposit. Beneficiaries can go to any open Social Security office and receive an immediate payment by check that replaces the full amount of their Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment.

Social Security is providing immediate payments and other vital services to the affected areas and to evacuees in other locations through temporary offices at evacuation centers, and FEMA Family Assistance Centers.

The U.S. Postal Service - Delivery service has been restored to 86% of affected Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana addresses, with full service available at 427 Post Offices and partial service at 53 Offices. More than 100,000 households of affected residents have filed a Change of Address. Also during the last week, the Postal Service has distributed more than 30,000 Social Security checks to residents at mobile locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Corporation for National and Community Service is providing relief and recovery efforts to those affected by the hurricane. Over 12,000 AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Special Volunteer Program in Homeland Security participants have been involved. The Corporation runs the Hurricane Resource Center for the USA Freedom Corps, which links groups of volunteers to service opportunities. For more information on how groups or organizations can volunteer, visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov/katrina/orgs_place.asp. The USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network links potential volunteers with opportunities to serve both in the immediate hurricane area and in communities around the country.

The Corporation joined with the ABC's “Good Morning America” and the Salvation Army to adopt and rebuild the Gulf Coast town of Pass Christian, Miss. AmeriCorps members have already removed 355 tons of brush and debris, helped local residents empty their homes of water-damaged property, and reopened the town’s remaining school.

American Red Cross - Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Red Cross has provided hurricane survivors with more than 3.3 million overnight stays in nearly 1,100 shelters across 27 states and the District of Columbia. More than 187,000 Red Cross disaster relief workers from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have responded to their neighbors in need. People looking for loved ones can call toll-free 1-877-LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317) or online at Family Links.

The Red Cross relies on donations of the American people to do its work. Citizens can help by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or by making an online contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at www.redcross.org.
Link to Reference: Gordon Russell, Staff writer Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Since its reopening six weeks ago after a hiatus of nearly two decades, the Old Gentilly Landfill in eastern New Orleans has quickly become one of the area’s busiest landfills, with as much as 100,000 cubic yards of debris arriving on some days.
- reopening landfills that fall short of modern standards could create an ecological nightmare.
- Regulators deny that the landfill — the only one working in the city limits — was opened for expediency’s sake.

Water

Since its reopening six weeks ago after a hiatus of nearly two decades, the Old Gentilly Landfill in eastern New Orleans has quickly become one of the area’s busiest landfills, with as much as 100,000 cubic yards of debris arriving on some days.

It has been a surprising resurgence for a landfill that sits atop an old city waste site built in the years before environmental regulation and one that still does not meet some basic state requirements.

Reopened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Old Gentilly is back on line despite the concerns of two U.S. senators — David Vitter, R-La., and James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate’s top environmental committee — who said they fear that reopening landfills that fall short of modern standards could create an ecological nightmare. They also wondered why Old Gentilly would be reopened given the relative abundance of other landfills in the New Orleans area. Those landfills meet tougher environmental regulations, and most charge lower fees than Old Gentilly.

Environmental groups have echoed the senators’ concerns, saying they fear runoff from the landfill will pollute nearby waterways and wetlands, and that the weight of the massive mountain of debris growing there will squeeze out toxins from the old, unlined household garbage underneath.

The state’s top environmental regulators have offered numerous, sometimes conflicting explanations for allowing Old Gentilly to reopen. On the one hand, they say, no rules were bent. On the other, they say some rules were temporarily relaxed, acknowledging that retaining walls around Old Gentilly are incomplete and that financial guarantees required for its future closure are still being worked out.

Regulators deny that the landfill — the only one working in the city limits — was opened for expediency’s sake. But at the same time, they also have said Old Gentilly is the best option because other landfills are too far away, even though a survey of local waste sites shows the differences in distance are not significant.

Regardless, regulators say there’s nothing to fear from Old Gentilly because it is accepting only relatively benign waste designated as construction and demolition, or C&D. In fact, Chuck Brown, assistant secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality, who signed off on the landfill’s reopening, took the unusual step of holding a news conference on behalf of the landfill. Standing at Old Gentilly, Brown said, “We’re quite fortunate to have it.”

Brown is backed by a recent assessment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which essentially gave the site an acceptable bill of health.

Still, environmentalists and others familiar with landfills are uneasy, noting troubling parallels between Old Gentilly’s reopening and the mass dumping of storm debris in 1965, after Hurricane Betsy, at the previously closed Agriculture Street Landfill. That area was later named a Superfund site, a federal designation that requires a massive cleanup.

If a similar situation were to recur with Old Gentilly, the city could be on the hook for millions of dollars in cleanup costs.

“My big question is: Why use a facility that has all these variables, that has a big question mark on it?” said Nannette Jolivette, a lawyer who served as city sanitation director from 1994 to 1996. “We’ve spent far too many of our tax dollars to defend the bad environmental decisions of the past. It seems people are almost doomed to repeat those mistakes. We’ve been down this road before.”

Though it sits amid a sea of illegal dumping grounds in far eastern New Orleans, at the edge of a city where trash assaults the nostrils at every turn, Old Gentilly still has the power to shock the senses.

Heavily loaded trucks, one after another, rumble through the dusty entrance, headed toward a growing mountain of debris that stands atop tons of foul waste piled up in the decades before 1986, when the site was closed. In the foreground is a cypress swamp where ducks, cormorants and teal hunt for food, ignoring the cacophony behind them.

The landfill dates to 1964, when the area near Old Gentilly Road and Almonaster Avenue was nearly unspoiled wetlands. It was in full use until 1982, when the state Department of Natural Resources ordered it closed. Though efforts to shutter it began in earnest the following year, the closure never was fully completed.

In the 1990s, city voters passed a bond issue to help pay for the cost of covering the landfill with a layer of clay, with the job going to Durr Heavy Construction, a partner in the joint venture that now runs the landfill. But the money was insufficient to complete the job.

Mayor Marc Morial’s administration, in its final months, advanced a new goal: to reopen the site as a C&D landfill. The idea was to generate some revenue for the city, which would help pay for capping the remaining sections. It would also give the city a place to dump its own demolition debris — at the time, the debris of blighted houses — for free.

Morial awarded a potentially lucrative contract to AMID Metro Partnership LLC, a joint venture between two businessmen with a long history of working relationships with city agencies. The venture would secure the permits if possible and then run the site, keeping 97 percent of the money and giving the rest to the city, which owns it.

AMID’s principal, Stephen Stumpf, also is the chief executive of Durr, a leading beneficiary of local programs for disadvantaged business enterprises. Though Stumpf is a white man, the company has qualified for the programs because his wife, Donna, owns a majority of stock in the firm, although regulators have questioned whether Donna Stumpf actually controls the company. Stephen Stumpf did not return a call seeking comment.

Metro Disposal, whose principal is Jimmie Woods, has long held part of the city’s residential trash pickup contract reserved for minority firms. The firm’s records were subpoenaed by federal prosecutors last year in connection with a wide-ranging probe into contracts let by the Morial administration. Woods has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He did not return a call seeking comment.

The Nagin administration continued the effort to reopen the old site. Last December, DEQ’s Brown issued the city a permit, but one that came with several conditions that had to be satisfied before the landfill could begin accepting waste.

In an interview, Brown said the landfill had met all those requirements and that the storm played no role in his Sept. 29 decision to issue an order authorizing the landfill to begin operating.

“No conditions were waived,” he said. “Had there not been this natural disaster, it would still be a permitted landfill. It’s required to meet the same standards every facility of its type is required to meet.”

But critics say otherwise, and Brown conceded that certain regulations have been at least temporarily suspended because of the disaster.

For instance, when asked whether the landfill is surrounded by the retaining berms required of all C&D sites to keep polluted stormwater from leaving the property, he said Old Gentilly has berms “on three sides.”

The final containing wall is about to be built, he said.

The EPA report differs a bit, saying berms are in place on the north and east but not the south and west sides. It, too, says walls will soon be built. Regulations dictate that berms be in place on all sides before such facilities can accept waste.

State laws also require landfills to provide “financial assurances”: insurance policies, bonds or other security to ensure that money will be available for possible remediation or closure. To satisfy that, Brown’s order said that “all income derived from the disposal of materials into the landfill” will be put into a trust fund to ultimately accomplish closing Old Gentilly.

Regulators typically require that financial assurances be made upfront.

Brown said the trust fund hasn’t been created yet, though the landfill has been operating for six weeks. For now, he said, the city — with its coffers nearly bare in the wake of the storm — has provided the necessary guarantees.

“We’re still working it out,” he said. “At this point, we’re relying on the permit as financial assurance, but we’re going to change the method to a trust fund. That will be done shortly. And it will be very transparent. We’re just working out the details.”

Brown acknowledged the storm was a factor in the decision to relax those conditions. “The enormity of the situation has caused us to deal with some issues in ‘real time,’°Ë” he said.

The Sept. 29 order itself recognizes Katrina as a factor. It cites “the extenuating circumstances and the need for immediate available disposal for construction/demolition debris and woodwaste generated in the Greater New Orleans area by the hurricane” as reasons for opening the landfill.

There is a belief, apparently widely held, that there isn’t enough space in local landfills to handle Katrina’s debris. During Mayor Ray Nagin’s recent appearance before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he was questioned about the reopening of Old Gentilly, he testified that “every other landfill in the area, it is my understanding, is being fully utilitized.”

Inhofe, the chairman, said he believed there were other, “more modern” sites available. He and other committee members expressed concern that the placing of debris on ancient landfills such as Old Gentilly could result in the “creation of new Superfund sites.”

Nagin responded: “Well, we’d like to know where (the other landfills) are.”

Inhofe and Vitter wrote a letter Sept. 26 to the EPA requesting a list of all landfills in the New Orleans region with available capacity and a “plan to ensure that such capacity will be utilized” before any old sites are reopened.

Three days after the letter was mailed, the Old Gentilly Landfill was in business. An EPA spokesman said the DEQ has full jurisdiction over the matter.

Despite Nagin’s testimony and Brown’s remarks about the need for new sites, it appears that other local landfills — built in more suitable sites and according to more modern guidelines — could easily handle the volume of debris caused by the storm.

And while the sites are farther away, the differences are not great. Moreover, most charge less for tipping fees — a cost that is picked up by the federal government — than does Old Gentilly.

For instance, River Birch’s U.S. 90 landfill in Avondale is just four miles farther from central New Orleans than the Old Gentilly site. Its owners charge $2.50 per cubic yard versus $3.50 at Old Gentilly. The Industrial Pipe Landfill in Belle Chasse also charges $2.50 and is just eight miles farther.

A bit more distant are the KV Landfill in Killona, which charges $2.50 a cubic yard, and the Slidell Landfill, which charges $5. Those four landfills could take in the estimated 14 million cubic yards of debris created by Katrina and have plenty of room to spare. All meet current landfill guidelines.

The alternative landfills are much closer than DEQ Secretary Mike McDaniel, Brown’s boss, suggested in a recent letter to The Washington Post.

“If the Old Gentilly Landfill were not in operation, the nearest landfill that would be allowed to take construction and demolition waste would be nearly 30 miles away,” he wrote. “To move many millions of tons of debris through heavy traffic areas within New Orleans to be processed at a facility nearly 30 miles away would be inefficient and environmentally unsound.

Hundreds of trucks would have to travel farther, consume more fuel, create more emissions, and wait several hours before their load could be processed, then turn around and drive the 30 miles back to pick up another load.”

DEQ spokesman Darin Mann said McDaniel was speaking about how far other landfills are from Old Gentilly, not estimating distances from where the debris is being collected.

Brown denies environmental regulations are being relaxed in the name of expediency but says speed and convenience can’t be overlooked as factors.

“It’s all about efficiency, not capacity,” he said. “The more facilities we have processing waste, the sooner the cleanup can be completed.”

In keeping with that line of thinking, the DEQ is considering allowing several other old landfills to reopen, including the Crescent Acres site in St. Bernard Parish and the old Recovery 1 Landfill in eastern New Orleans.

Environmentalists and even some regulators see that as a dangerous idea. In a recent letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expressed a series of concerns about the possible reopening of Recovery 1, which is next to the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest bird rookeries on the Gulf Coast.

“We are .°Ë.°Ë. very concerned about the possible future use of that facility for the disposal of demolition/construction debris for several reasons,” the letter states in part, noting that Recovery 1— like the Old Gentilly Landfill — is not equipped with a protective liner.

“Given the scope and nature of the flooding events and the age of many of the buildings in question, we believe that the 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,” the letter says.

“Placement of such materials in an un-lined landfill, particularly within coastal wetlands, would likely result in leaching and resultant contamination of ground water, surface water and adjacent wetland habitats. We believe that disposal of demolition/construction debris must be conducted based on a thorough and rigorous analysis of all available landfills to avoid the potential for creating a new Superfund site, such as the Agriculture Street Landfill.”

Though the Fish and Wildlife Service’s letter was aimed at Recovery 1, other observers say the concerns apply to Old Gentilly. The city and state are ignoring such warnings at their peril, critics say.

“To do this when there’s so many other options to me is shortsighted,” Jolivette said. “It’s a no-brainer. It’s déjà vu. We’ve made this mistake before.”

Forty years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Betsy, the shuttered Agriculture Street Landfill was brought back to life. Debris was hauled there, burned and eventually covered, with houses and schools ultimately built atop and near the site.

It later was named a Superfund site, with residents complaining of various health problems. The site has exacted a financial cost as well as a human one. The city has spent decades in litigation, running up legal bills in the millions of dollars in defending itself.

Though there are parallels between Old Gentilly and Agriculture Street, there are clear differences too. For one, the steps the operators of Old Gentilly are being required to take are far more stringent than the ones imposed in 1965.

Also, the area around Old Gentilly is essentially unpopulated, and one could argue that the area already is an environmental hazard given the proliferation of illegal dumps nearby.

That reality is noted in the EPA report, which essentially offers an argument that Old Gentilly can’t be blamed for all the toxins in the area because of the number of illegal dumps. It says the area includes “other landfills, dumps, automotive junk yards and polluted storm water and industrial discharge sewers,” and concludes: “Contaminants in ground water cannot be traced solely to the Old Gentilly Landfill.”

The EPA report acknowledges that its own tests found some problems at the site on at least one occasion. A series of soil samples in 1997 found levels of arsenic, vanadium, aluminum and magnesium that “met observed contamination criteria.”

Unacceptable thresholds of arsenic and aluminum also were found in groundwater samples at the time. But the recent EPA report noted that the 1997 tests “did not consider potential sources of groundwater contamination from other commercial and industrial facilities in the vicinity of the site.”

Even if the area is already polluted and sparsely populated, critics of the newly opened landfill say it’s a poor place for a landfill because of its location next to wetlands and waterways.

“It’s right in the middle of a classic swamp,” said Robert Wiygul, who has sued the DEQ on behalf of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network in hopes of forcing it to close.

Moreover, the bottom of the old municipal waste site underneath the new landfill is unlined, and the weight of millions of tons of new debris may force toxic runoff, called leachate, out into those waters, Wiygul and others say.
Brown, again, disagrees.

“That is not a concern,” he said. “We’ve done soil samples, and they’ve all indicated that the waste in place there (underneath the new landfill) has totally decomposed. There’s no danger of leachate. We did water sampling where we drilled through the cap, and we didn’t find anything. At this point, we feel any risk from the facility is at best minimal.”

Brown is backed by the EPA assessment, which says the old waste “is unlikely to expel fluids, particularly leachate in such quantities as to flow some distance from the landfill. The weight loading of this landfill with Katrina waste and potential squeezing of leachate that would contaminate ground water or surface water is of limited concern.”

Critics say there’s nothing stopping rainwater from running off-site from the new material, which may not be quite as benign as traditional construction and demolition debris. An emergency order issued by the DEQ expanded the definition of construction debris to include mattresses, carpet, furniture, treated lumber and other items, meaning the permitted waste could include items such as furniture covered in lead paint.

Allowing the site to open without retaining berms “violates three laws,” said Oliver Houck, professor of environmental law at Tulane Law School. “The berm ought to come first, or the C&D is just getting dumped in the marsh.”

Houck said he rejects the claim that regulators will be able to limit the material being dumped to even those types of construction debris, particularly given the volume at which it is arriving.

“C&D in this town tends to carry everything from batteries to asbestos shingles,” Houck said. “It’s not the hauler’s fault they’re in there. But there are many facilities available for that kind of stuff. This one is in a wetland, so it’s the worst kind of stuff going into the worst kind of environment. Maybe it’s all C&D. Maybe the moon is made of green cheese, too.”

Though Houck questions the ability of officials to effectively screen trash coming into Old Gentilly, Brown disagrees.

“There are no less than four pairs of eyes that see every load,” he said. “And there are monitors in the back that watch the loads as they’re dumped. We’ve made every effort to segregate the waste streams. White goods and hazardous materials, they’re being separated out. I feel there’s a yeoman’s effort being made to make sure commingling doesn’t exist.”

The EPA report also concluded that efforts to segregate and monitor the trash coming into the landfill were adequate.

The results of the dumping — which could total millions of cubic yards and create a mountain as high as 130 feet under the permit — may not be known for many years.

But Jolivette and others worry the city is putting itself in a precarious position for a relatively small return.

The city’s 3 percent cut of the revenue from the landfill could bring in a little more than $2 million in the first year of operation, given current volumes. The operators, meanwhile, stand to gross about $75 million if the dump continues to hum along.

“You’ve got to look long-term at what the costs will be to the environment and the area,” she said. “I know we’re in a state of emergency, but you cannot let the risks far outweigh the benefit.”

Gordon Russell can be reached at grussell@timespicayune.com or at (504)°Ë826-3347.
Link to Reference: DONALD LEE, Advocate columnist Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- There are trees and plants that can help clean up New Orleans and other areas hit hard by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- called phytoremediation -- are really good at sucking up toxic materials from the ground by absorbing them through their roots.
- One of the major tasks is to restore the live oak trees that are affected by salt water intrusion.

Water

There are trees and plants that can help clean up New Orleans and other areas hit hard by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And there's a man at Southern University who knows exactly what they are and is excited about what they can do.

Kamran K. Abdollahi, professor of urban forestry at Southern, said particular trees and plants -- part of a technology called phytoremediation -- are really good at sucking up toxic materials from the ground by absorbing them through their roots. And Abdollahi is optimistic that it won't be long before the trees and other forms of vegetation will be planted in neighborhoods where salt water and other contaminants have damaged the soil in the hurricanes' aftermath.

"This natural technology basically takes up the toxic materials that are in the soil in the impacted areas," said Abdollahi. "Toxic materials like heavy metals can be easily taken up by the roots of the plants, and there is actually a list of plants that can be used in the urban areas such as the city of New Orleans."

The plants include cottonwood trees and willow trees, mainly seen in ravine areas.

"These are considered pretty good phytoremediators," Abdollahi said. He said good phytoremediators include plants that accumulate a lot of toxic materials, such as heavy metals, in their stems, leaves and other parts.

In a Nov. 10 chancellor's address at a media breakfast on Southern's campus, Abdollahi said the Southern University Forestry Program, in collaboration with the NASA-University Center for Coastal Zone Assessment, has been promoting the environmental restoration plan.

Many native shrubs and trees can be used to clean up the toxic materials the hurricanes left behind.

One of the major tasks is to restore the live oak trees that are affected by salt water intrusion.

"To remediate those trees, we have to do some draining of the soils and try to make sure that the soil is continuously irrigated, and that would help remove some of the salt that is in the soil," he said.

"In addition to irrigating the soil," Adollahi said, "we also want to use mulch and soil amendments to restore the soil to minimize further damage to the live oaks."

Abdollahi said his program's goal is to try to convince local, state and federal officials and even residents of the affected areas to plant these trees.

"This would be a continuous cleaning of the environment," Abdollahi said. "The planting of these trees will provide continuous benefits to areas declared by the state inhabitable yet show signs of contamination that would not meet the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency."

The professor said he hopes to secure federal support for this project, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars during the time it takes the affected areas to be restored.

"We are utilizing Southern University's systemwide resources to keep the project going," he said. "In order for this to be a long-term, feasible project, we have to secure financial resources from our federal partners."

A couple of those federal partners are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

All the research that has been done is going toward developing a strategy to cope with many environmental problems facing urban communities.

"We do all of this in hope of having a better urban environment by having better air quality, more shade from trees and more pollution removal from the soil and water and to enhance the quality of life for the residents," he said.

"There are many areas in New Orleans where the contamination is marginal and it is feasible to use this phytoremediation technology," Abdollahi said.

Beyond research, Abdollahi and others involved in the project have done mappings of certain areas, traveling to sites in New Orleans and Gulfport, Miss., and measuring some pollutants in the soil.

The environmental restoration plan in urban areas would focus on one neighborhood block at a time.

"Some people estimate that the restoration would take five to 10 years," he said. "So we are hoping that federal partners would be assisting us so that we can sustain this level of commitment to the communities."



djlee@theadvocate.com
Link to Reference: U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Coastal Impacts Hurricane Impact Studies
- Satellite Imagery and other Geospatial Data USGS Landsat 7 Satellite Images
- Additional USGS Hurricane Information

Water

The U.S. Geological Survey continues to mobilize equipment and personnel to gather the scientific data and information on the impact of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

USGS scientists will be:
• Collecting satellite imagery to assess the impact on wetlands, coasts, and changes in the elevation
• Collecting water samples to determine the water quality in areas where there has been significant salt water intrusion
• Marking and flagging high-water marks to document flooding and storm surge
• Repairing and replacing damaged streamgages to restore flood warning capabilities
• Collecting aerial photography and video to document the impact on the coast and wetlands
• Using airborne laser mapping systems (LIDAR) to quantify coastal changes

 Coastal Impacts
Hurricane Impact Studies
• Hurricane Katrina Impact Studies
• Hurricane Rita Impact Studies
• Hurricane Wilma Impact Studies
• Prehurricane Survey of Raccoon Island, Louisiana
• Post-Hurricane Flight on Barrier Islands and shoreline

Satellite Imagery and other Geospatial Data
USGS Landsat 7 Satellite Images
• Katrina Remote Sensing Clearinghouse
• Rita Remote Sensing Clearinghouse
• Wilma Remote Sensing Clearinghouse
• Geospatial One-Stop—Data and Imagery of the Affected Areas (Katrina)
• Geospatial One-Stop—Data and Imagery of the Affected Areas (Rita)
• The National Map Spotlight: Hurricane Katrina
• Elevation Data

News Releases
• DOI News Release—USGS Geospatial Science Helps Pinpoint New Orleans Flood Victims
• Katrina Rolls Barrier Island Landward—Shown by Airborne Laser Mapping Images
◦ Dissolve animations created by NASA that illustrate how
major storm events can impact and change coastal areas
• USGS Reports New Wetland Loss from Hurricane Katrina in Southeastern Louisiana
• USGS Providing Humanitarian and Scientific Aid in Hurricane Katrina Aftermath
• USGS Releases Aerial Video of Coastal Impacts From Biloxi, Miss. To Chandeleur Islands, La.
• Aerial Photos Depicting Before and After Coastal Impacts From Hurricane Katrina Available on USGS Web Site
• USGS Providing Humanitarian and Scientific Aid in Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
• Media Advisory: USGS Issues Alert of Landslide Dangers from Hurricane Rita

Monitor Streamflow Conditions as Hurricane Rita Moves Inland

Texas
• Real-Time Streamflow Conditions (NWISWeb)
• Map Comparing Real-Time and Historical Streamflow Conditions (WaterWatch)
• Map of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast Region Potentially Affected by Hurricane Rita, with Labeled Coastal Storm Surge Stream-Gaging Stations

Louisiana
• Real-Time Streamflow Conditions (NWISWeb)
• Map Comparing Real-Time and Historical Streamflow Conditions (WaterWatch)

Publications
• Bacteriological Water Quality in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, September 2005
• Geologic Framework and Processes of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
• Environmental Atlas of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
• Coastal Erosion and Wetland Change in Louisiana: Selected USGS Products
• Sea-level Rise and Subsidence: Implications for Flooding in New Orleans (PDF)
• Houston-Galveston Bay Area, Texas, From Space—A New Tool for Mapping Land Subsidence

Additional USGS Hurricane Information
• Hurricane Katrina Special Features (National Wetlands Research Center)
• Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies
• Overview of Hurricane Katrina, August 24-31, 2005 (Word - 239 K)
• Water Watch—Current Water Resources Conditions
• USGS Activities in Texas—Hurricane Rita Information

Federal Resources
• How to Get Help
• Donate and Volunteer
• Finding Friends and Information
• Health and Safety
• What Government is Doing
• En Espanol
Link to Reference: DAN MCMENAMIN, 11/16/2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- many people thought that terrorists were our number one enemy. But the recent past has reminded us that we have another, much deadlier killer lurking all around us: nature
- vicious storms from the Gulf of Mexico caused as much damage to our country than any terrorist attack ever could
- Warmer water also fuels hurricanes and makes them more intense, like the three Category 5 storms this fall

Water

In this post-9/11 world, many people thought that terrorists were our number one enemy. But the recent past has reminded us that we have another, much deadlier killer lurking all around us: nature.  Natural disasters in the past year have exposed a problem that will affect us even more in the future. Our planet, it seems, is getting increasingly warmer and unstable.

  This September, vicious storms from the Gulf of Mexico caused as much damage to our country than any terrorist attack ever could. The wind and flood damage caused just by the Category 5 Hurricane Katrina is estimated to cost the U.S. upward of $150 billion, not to mention over 1,000 lives, many of which belonged to people already living in extreme poverty.

  Two other Category 5 hurricanes, Rita and Wilma, also tore through the Gulf Coast, causing significant damage and loss of life. It was the first time on record that three Category 5 hurricanes happened in the same season.

  Now, I’m not going to say that global warming caused any of these hurricanes to happen.

  Obviously, natural disasters like these will continue to occur long into the future. That’s clearly not too bold of a prediction; all sorts of similar events have happened before and many more will happen again.

  However, what’s relevant is the fact that problems like higher temperatures and intense hurricanes seem to be happening more and more frequently now.

  So are these disasters just part of a natural cycle on our planet, or is the Earth starting to get angry with us?

  After all, it would have good reason. The U.S. alone produces 20 percent of daily carbon dioxide emissions, despite making up less than 5 percent of the global population.

  Because our vehicles, power plants and factories have been blowing all sorts of toxic substances up into the atmosphere for over a century, it shouldn’t be surprising that we could face some consequences for our actions.

  The pollutants we pump into the atmosphere cause a “greenhouse effect,” in which carbon dioxide molecules allow heat from the sun to travel into the atmosphere but prevent it from traveling back out.

  The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that the average global and ocean temperature has risen over one degree Fahrenheit in the past century, and that carbon dioxide levels could double by 2100, based on current emission levels.

  The U.N. study predicted an average global temperature rise of 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the next century if this happens.

  A small temperature rise might not seem like a big deal, but hotter weather is already having a noticeable effect around the globe.

  Over 200 cities in the U.S. — including New Orleans — broke records for all-time high temperatures this summer, as did the water nearby in the Gulf.

  Also, NASA measured the Arctic ice caps from various satellite images and found that they were at the smallest levels ever measured.

  They concluded that if it keeps melting at current rates, by the end of the century, the Arctic could be completely ice-free during the summer months.

  Now, all that ice obviously doesn’t just disappear when it melts; it turns into water. And lots of melted ice leads to higher sea levels, which can lead to more flooding like we saw in New Orleans.

  Warmer water also fuels hurricanes and makes them more intense, like the three Category 5 storms this fall. Don’t be surprised if you see even more high-category hurricanes in the future.

  A warmer climate will also enable diseases to spread more quickly, such as malaria or the avian flu that currently has many people scared.

  Mike Leavitt, President Bush’s secretary of health and human services, recently said that a pandemic like avian flu “is essentially nature’s terrorist.”

  America already has a war on terror. Will we declare war on nature? Unfortunately, we’ve already been doing that for a long time with our cars, planes and factories.

  But only now are we beginning to see what happens when nature starts to fight back.
Link to Reference: Daniel DeNoon, WebMD Medical News, Aug. 31, 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Hurricane Katrina is gone. But the disaster left in its wake continues to evolve.
- Contaminated Water
- Contaminated Food

Water

Hurricane Katrina is gone. But the disaster left in its wake continues to evolve.

Public health officials are still scrambling to find stranded people and treat the injured. In the immediate aftermath, aid workers are struggling to provide basic human needs: shelter, drinking water, food, clothing, and sanitation. Also in short supply are the daily medicines needed by people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Disasters are humbling events. America is big, rich, and deep in resources. Yet the public health aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will continue for days, weeks, months, and years. What can we expect as time goes by?

Contaminated Water
Floodwaters inevitably are contaminated with raw sewage. Even so, this water is not particularly dangerous unless a person drinks it or unless it gets into untreated wounds.

With water systems inoperative, sanitation becomes very difficult. Hand washing is the best way to prevent disease -- but even hand washing is difficult in the absence of clean water. If available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective.

And water can be disinfected. This can be done by boiling water (a rolling boil for one minute) or, if boiling is impossible, by disinfection (1/8 teaspoon unscented chlorine bleach per gallon of clear water, 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of cloudy water; mix and let sit for 30 minutes). One often overlooked source of contamination is bottled water from unsafe sources. If the source of bottled water is not known -- especially if the seal on the bottle is not intact -- it's a good idea to disinfect it.

Children's toys are also a source of contamination. If the toys come into contact with floodwater, they must be disinfected.

Once floodwaters recede, the risk of waterborne illness remains until municipal and home water systems can be fully disinfected. Most infections come from drinking water contaminated with fecal matter.

Waterborne illnesses have similar symptoms: diarrhea, cramping, fever, and/or vomiting. The specific symptoms -- and their severity -- depend on the type of illness and on the infected person's health. Common waterborne diseases in the U.S. include:
• Amebiasis
• Campylobacteriosis
• Cryptosporidiosis
• Giardiasis
• Hepatitis A
• Salmonellosis
• Shigellosis
• Viral gastroenteritis (such as norovirus and rotavirus infections)

The good news is that widespread disease rarely follows modern U.S. disasters.

Contaminated Food

In the days following a disaster, fresh food is in short supply. And with the power down, foods go bad very quickly. Any perishable food left out for more than two hours is unsafe. So is any food that has come into contact with floodwater.

Home-canned food that has come into contact with floodwater should not be eaten unless boiled. This holds true for all food containers with screw-top lids, snap lids, soda bottles, and other foods or beverages with crimped caps, flip-top, or snap-open tops.

Other canned foods can still make people sick if they come into contact with floodwater and are not disinfected before being opened. This means removing the label, washing the cans, and dipping them in a solution made of one cup of bleach and five gallons of water. It's a good idea to discard cans that have been tossed about by winds or water -- their seals may have weakened and allowed contamination or spoilage.

Babies may become ill if fed powdered formula prepared with treated water. Only preprepared, canned baby formula is considered completely safe.

Mosquito-Borne Disease

With power down, windows open, and many people exposed to the elements, mosquitoes will have a field day.

Mosquitoes carry a number of diseases. West Nile virus season was just peaking when Hurricane Katrina hit.
Link to Reference: Mississippi Business Journal Online, November 14, 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- completed a water quality study along major bay systems on the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that shows few chemicals of concern in bays and rivers where samples were taken.
- Overall, the sampling data show that few water quality criteria were exceeded during the study. In areas where elevated contamination levels
- encompassed major bay systems on the Mississippi Gulf Coast including Bangs Lake, Bayou Casotte, Pascagoula and West Pascagoula River systems, Back Bay of Biloxi, St. Louis Bay and Pearl River.

Water

MISSISSPPI GULF COAST — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ have completed a water quality study along major bay systems on the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that shows few chemicals of concern in bays and rivers where samples were taken.

The study looked for any serious short-term problems with water quality. EPA and MDEQ specifically targeted areas with the greatest potential for environmental harm because of the proximity to industrial or municipal areas.

Overall, the sampling data show that few water quality criteria were exceeded during the study. In areas where elevated contamination levels were found, EPA and MDEQ will continue to evaluate the need for additional site-specific studies to determine if there are any further adverse environmental impacts. Samples collected show bacteria concentrations at or below levels EPA considers suitable for swimming. To determine if there may be any long-term effects of the hurricane, additional data will be collected and compiled with existing data.

The study encompassed major bay systems on the Mississippi Gulf Coast including Bangs Lake, Bayou Casotte, Pascagoula and West Pascagoula River systems, Back Bay of Biloxi, St. Louis Bay and Pearl River. The full report is available at http://www.epa.gov/region4/sesd/reports/2005-0926.html/.
Testing results by state, county or testing site can be viewed by using EnviroMapper at http://www.epa.gov/enviro/katrina/emkatrina.html/ .
Link to Reference: Matthew Brown, West Bank bureau, November 11, 2005
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Highlights:
- an estimated 1,700 homes around the Murphy Oil spill in Chalmette are considered unsafe to enter without protective gear, after soil samples showed the widespread presence of toxic chemicals,
- it's unknown whether that nagging cough going around town is caused by harmful mold, carcinogenic dust or simply a mild cold.
- They repeated warnings that anyone returning to homes or businesses in proximity to the refinery should wear protective gloves, boots and clothing. Left unsettled was whether work being done now in those neighborhoods will be enough to make them habitable again.

Water

Is it safe yet to live and work in flood-stricken areas? More than 10 weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the answer remains largely unclear, federal health and environmental officials said Thursday, leaving thousands of on-the-fence residents lacking crucial information at a pivotal juncture in the region's recovery.

Soil, water and air samples released Thursday confirmed a small number of sites as obvious hazards. For instance, an estimated 1,700 homes around the Murphy Oil spill in Chalmette are considered unsafe to enter without protective gear, after soil samples showed the widespread presence of toxic chemicals, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

Harmful substances including heavy metals and unspecified chemicals also were detected in water samples taken near the Bayou Bonfouca Superfund site in Slidell and the Delatte Metals site in Tangipahoa Parish, although no public drinking water sources have been tainted, the EPA said.

But more subtle concerns affecting a broader slice of the region's populace linger. For example, it's unknown whether that nagging cough going around town is caused by harmful mold, carcinogenic dust or simply a mild cold.

"I don't think we can tease that out right now," said Howard Frumkin, director of the National Center for Environmental Health, during a news conference Thursday on the latest round of environmental testing after Katrina.

Monitoring of hospital admissions has revealed widespread "anecdotal reports" of coughing and respiratory problems, Frumkin said. But how many people have been affected and how severely has not been nailed down. "That may emerge as one of the environmental challenges in coming months," he said.

Looking out for children

Critics of the federal government's response to Katrina's environmental toll say Frumkin's lack of certainty underscores an alleged failure to protect storm-wracked residents.

"The very question everybody needs an answer to is the question they're avoiding: Is it safe?" said Anne Rolfes with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental group. "I know mothers and fathers trying to make a decision: Should we come back with our small children? Schools are open now. People are asking life-and-death questions, and EPA is hiding from answering it."

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said his personnel are working diligently to answer public safety questions, on a scale one EPA official said has not been seen since the Sept. 11, 2001, collapse of the World Trade Center buildings in Manhattan.

In conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and several other state and federal agencies, the EPA is taking air, water and soil tests on a regular basis. Yet Johnson said, "the sheer volume of debris is staggering and will take many months to deal with."

That debris includes a thick layer of dried mud that cakes much of St. Bernard and lower Plaquemines parishes and vast areas of Lakeview, the 9th Ward and eastern New Orleans. As the mud crumbles to dust and goes airborne or people come into contact with it on the ground, there is increasing concern it could be harmful to humans. Some sediment samples have contained arsenic, lead and petroleum products, and EPA officials said residents should avoid contact if possible.

An EPA spokeswoman said the agency is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to draft a disposal plan.

Dwight Bradshaw, senior scientist with the state DEQ, said children are most at danger of exposure. Whereas adults can follow simple precautions such as washing after contact with sediment and avoiding ingesting it, Bradshaw said that could be difficult for young children.

But he cautioned that sweeping conclusions about health threats are impossible, and said many issues must be addressed on a house-by-house basis.

"There's such a huge range of impacts. You'd have to say: This house is OK, but that one is not," he said. That process generally will be left to homeowners and their insurance companies.

Over the long term, EPA officials singled out the Murphy Oil spill as perhaps the most glaring public health threat. Testing around the refinery has revealed high levels of arsenic, diesel fuel and other petroleum-based chemicals.

Stuck in limbo

They repeated warnings that anyone returning to homes or businesses in proximity to the refinery should wear protective gloves, boots and clothing. Left unsettled was whether work being done now in those neighborhoods will be enough to make them habitable again.

"The question of whether those properties can ever be occupied again, that's a work in progress," said Richard Greene, EPA Region 6 administrator. "I'm sure many of the people would like to rebuild and get their lives back to normal. We'll see how that process works out. But as of now . . . there are many questions that we do not have answers to today."

A spokeswoman for Murphy Oil, Mindy West, said scrubbing of home exteriors marred by the Meraux oil slick began Wednesday. She declined to give a timeline for completion or to say how many homeowners have enrolled in the cleanup. The Murphy spill has spawned several lawsuits against the refinery.
Link to Reference: MIKE DUNNE, Advocate staff writer, 11/12/05 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- nitial sampling told the agency that "floodwaters were contaminated with bacteria and lead and a variety of other materials.
- a lot of environmental sampling is showing results below federal action levels
- reiterated that residents returning to their homes should avoid direct contact with oil-contaminated sediments and should wear protective clothing. Children and pets should not be allowed into the area as they are more likely to be harmed by any contamination.

Water

Environmental monitoring in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is telling state and federal officials that some areas present possible health problems, some appear to be clean and some need additional investigation.

"This is a natural disaster the likes we have never seen before," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. He said initial sampling told the agency that "floodwaters were contaminated with bacteria and lead and a variety of other materials."

Sediment testing around expected environmental hot spots, such as the massive Murphy Oil refinery spill in St. Bernard Parish, tells officials that there are some dangers and concerns. But a lot of environmental sampling is showing results below federal action levels. Dr. Howard Frumkin of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said "it is very hard to say in a broad brush way" whether Katrina was the environmental disaster people predicted in early September.

"There are some areas that appear to be quite clean and quite safe. There are some areas where we are concerned and some areas still need investigation," Frumkin said.

Frumkin said some health tracking in clinics and hospitals around the New Orleans area has turned up anecdotal evidence of coughing and other respiratory problems and that is "exactly what is expected." The agency expected more cases of communicable diseases, but that concern never materialized.

A lot of injuries connected to the hurricane have been reported, such as carbon monoxide poisoning from use of generators in enclosed areas and cuts from chain saws. "I wish we had better data," he said. For example, the agency can't discern the impacts of molds versus contaminated dust.

"We have more questions than answers," he said. "It is plausible that some people are having reactions to mold and other substances there," Frumkin said.

Routine air sampling doesn't measure mold, he said.

EPA has conducted sampling around five Superfund sites flooded by Katrina. The Agriculture Street Landfill in New Orleans, Southern Shipbuilding in Slidell and Madisonville Creosote Works sites "were not affected by the hurricane, Johnson said.

Testing at the Bayou Bonfouca site in Slidell showed some water contamination, but all at levels below drinking water action levels, Johnson said.

At Delatte Metals near Ponchatoula, tests showed some elevated levels of metals, but none of the area's drinking water wells were contaminated, he said.

A storage tank on the Murphy Oil Refinery in Meraux collapsed during Katrina and about 1,700 St. Bernard Parish homes were contaminated. The oil company is working on cleaning up the area, Johnson said.

Murphy has taken about 1,500 samples and EPA has independently analyzed about 10 percent of them.

Many samples show levels of oil products that exceed safe levels for residential soils, he said.

He and Frumkin reiterated that residents returning to their homes should avoid direct contact with oil-contaminated sediments and should wear protective clothing. Children and pets should not be allowed into the area as they are more likely to be harmed by any contamination.

EPA Region 6 Administrator Richard Greene said he thinks some homeowners around the Murphy refinery will want to rebuild, but he said he doesn't know whether that will be reasonable or allowable.

"We do not have answers today," Greene said. "We expect Murphy to be responsible" and clean up the contamination to meet standards, he said.
Link to Reference: NEW ORLEANS (AP) November 11, 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- A batch of new EPA results from air and water samples indicate that the region was not turned into an environmental disaster zone after Hurricane Katrina inundated hundreds of miles of coast and flooded New Orleans
- EPA says bacteria levels in water along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were so low that swimming is now safe. The agency says air sampling in Louisiana has shown no problems and the storm did not cause any serious contamination at five Superfund sites around New Orleans.
- State and federal environmental agencies have been criticized for downplaying the dangers caused by the hurricane.

Water

From polluted air to oil spills, the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast region still has many environmental problems to tackle, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator said on Thursday. Stephen Johnson said that the region is dealing with mounds of debris, mold, contamination from oil spills, broken infrastructure and reports of poor air quality in Mississippi. “This is a natural disaster unlike anything we've seen before,” Johnson said.

A batch of new EPA results from air and water samples indicate that the region was not turned into an environmental disaster zone after Hurricane Katrina inundated hundreds of miles of coast and flooded New Orleans when it hit on Aug. 29.

EPA says bacteria levels in water along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were so low that swimming is now safe. The agency says air sampling in Louisiana has shown no problems and the storm did not cause any serious contamination at five Superfund sites around New Orleans.

There are a few trouble spots, according to EPA.

In Meraux, sediment samples where 1 million gallons of crude oil spilled from a refinery storage tank revealed high levels of arsenic, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, diesel and oil-related organic chemicals. The agency has told people to wear protective clothing while in the area and to keep children and pets away. Johnson said it is too early to say when the area will be cleaned up.

In Mississippi, air sampling between Oct. 7 and 19 at the Stennis Space Center and in Pascagoula found dangerous chemicals.

High levels of formaldehyde, or methanal, were found on three days near the county health department in Pascagoula. The chemical compound, which takes form as a pungent gas, often comes about with combustion, for example from forest fires or automobile exhaust. EPA said preliminary results from newer samples show that the formaldehyde levels are coming down.

In western Mississippi, high levels of acrolein were found at a monitor at Stennis on two days. The chemical, which is mostly used to make other chemicals, can enter the atmosphere when trees, plants, gasoline and oil are burned. Since then, the agency said, preliminary results show the chemical has fluctuated in intensity.

The agency said it is trying to figure out where the chemicals are coming from at both sites.

State and federal environmental agencies have been criticized for downplaying the dangers caused by the hurricane.

Anne Rolfes of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental group that has sought to empower communities near oil and chemical plants, said EPA has done little to inform residents in Meraux about the hazards of cleaning up their oil-contaminated homes.

“There's just no information and it's EPA's job to let us know,” Rolfes said.

Richard Greene, EPA's regional administrator in Dallas, said state and federal officials used checkpoints, Federal Emergency Management Agency distribution points, agency web sites and local radio to get word out about the risks of entering the oil spill zone.

Gary Miller, a chemical engineer and air expert with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said state and federal agencies have done a good job sampling the hurricane-hit region.

EPA has been reluctant to declare the region environmentally dangerous because the agency does not want to stop the rebuilding effort, he said.

“There are millions of dollars at stake here, and the last thing EPA will want to do is get in front of that locomotive,” Miller said.

He said the long-term health and environmental effects are still playing out. “This is an ongoing experiment,” he said, “and unfortunately the humans are the guinea pigs here.”

For example, he said, EPA samples show that there are high levels of lead and arsenic in sediment in New Orleans. Officials, he said, will need to be very careful about what they do with the contaminated soil.

On The Web:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency test results from Hurricane Katrina: http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults
Link to Reference: RANDY LEE LOFTIS / The Dallas Morning News, 11/10/05 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- The suburban New Orleans neighborhood hit by a million-gallon oil spill after Hurricane Katrina is still a dangerous, toxic mess
- estimate that more than 1 million gallons of crude oil spilled.
- Murphy Oil, based in El Dorado, Ark., has assured residents that after a planned cleanup, the neighborhood would face no short- or long-term risks from the spilled oil. However, EPA and Louisiana officials said the contamination in the square-mile spill area is a serious health risk.

Water

The suburban New Orleans neighborhood hit by a million-gallon oil spill after Hurricane Katrina is still a dangerous, toxic mess, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.
It's not known when the area around Murphy Oil Corp.'s refinery in St. Bernard Parish will be safe or whether some of the 1,700 oil-soaked homes can ever be re-occupied, EPA Administrator Steve Johnson and other officials told reporters.
"We have serious concerns about potential exposure to Murphy Oil contaminated sediment," Mr. Johnson said. New Orleans' Ninth Ward neighborhood is also a concern, he said.
"Avoid direct contact with the sediment," he said. "Avoid direct contact with the floodwater. That has been our message since the very beginning."
A tank at the Murphy Oil refinery in Meraux, southeast of New Orleans, came loose Sept. 4 in the floods after Katrina. Officials estimate that more than 1 million gallons of crude oil spilled.
Murphy Oil, based in El Dorado, Ark., has assured residents that after a planned cleanup, the neighborhood would face no short- or long-term risks from the spilled oil. However, EPA and Louisiana officials said the contamination in the square-mile spill area is a serious health risk.
Parish officials went against the state's recommendation when they let people start repairing their homes, said Dwight Bradshaw of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
The cleanup is the responsibility of Murphy Oil, under government supervision, said Richard E. Greene, regional administrator of the EPA.
A decision on whether the worst hit homes can be reoccupied "is a work in progress," he said.
A Murphy Oil spokesman declined to comment.
The EPA offered hopeful signs on some other fronts. Monitoring has uncovered few if any problems with toxic air pollution in the Gulf Coast hurricane zone or chemical contamination in gulf bays, the agency said.
Three of the five federal Superfund toxic-waste sites in the hurricane zone came through with no release of contamination, while at two others, no contamination reached drinking water wells, the EPA said.
But, problems remain, Mr. Johnson said. They include contaminated flood sediment, oil spills, mold in formerly flooded buildings, damaged drinking- water and wastewater systems and massive amounts of debris.
E-mail rloftis@dallasnews.com
Link to Reference: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Communication Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Findings released today suggest that, despite expectations that hurricane-related flooding in New Orleans could cause uniformly high concentrations of fecal bacteria in Lake Pontchartrain, water samples from sites in and around the lake commonly were within limits acceptable for recreational waters.
- Concentrations in samples they collected in the third and fourth week after passage of Hurricane Katrina commonly were less than U.S. EPA criteria for E. coli and enterococci in fresh or marine waters and also met the Louisiana DEQ standard for fecal coliform bacteria.
- The report, "Bacteriological Water Quality in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, September 2005," by Donald M. Stoeckel and others, USGS Data Series 143, is available online at http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/ds143/

Water

In response to public concern for the water quality of Lake Pontchartrain following Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is conducting intensive studies of water, sediment, and seafood quality of Lake Pontchartrain.

Findings released today suggest that, despite expectations that hurricane-related flooding in New Orleans could cause uniformly high concentrations of fecal bacteria in Lake Pontchartrain, water samples from sites in and around the lake commonly were within limits acceptable for recreational waters.

These results represent a first round of testing following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Louisiana DEQ is continuing to monitor bayous along the north side of Lake Pontchartrain, areas found to be ‘hot spots’ in samples collected immediately following Hurricane Rita.

USGS scientists measured fecal-indicator bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), enterococci, and fecal coliforms over a 3 week period. These indicator bacteria are not themselves pathogens, but scientists monitor for them because they are useful indicators of fecal contamination and the possible presence of pathogens. Concentrations in samples they collected in the third and fourth week after passage of Hurricane Katrina commonly were less than U.S. EPA criteria for E. coli and enterococci in fresh or marine waters and also met the Louisiana DEQ standard for fecal coliform bacteria. A week later, following the passage of Hurricane Rita, concentrations at several tributary sites were well above the criteria and standard, while concentrations in the lake remained generally below or near those limits.

Scientists collected water samples at 22 sites—including most inflows to the lake, sites within the lake, and the major outflows to the Gulf of Mexico by way of Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound. Nineteen of the sites are routinely sampled as part of the Louisiana DEQ ambient monitoring network. Corresponding data on water temperature, specific conductance (a measure of salinity), pH, and dissolved oxygen also were collected at each site at the time of sampling.

The scientists were especially interested to find the highest concentrations of fecal contamination in north shore tributaries rather than in the south shore canals that carried flood water from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain. Dennis Demcheck, the USGS hydrologist at Baton Rouge, La., who led the sampling effort, attributed this to a "settling pond" effect in New Orleans, which held flood waters during the weeks prior to pumping them back into Lake Pontchartrain.

The study included an extensive quality-control data set, and that data set largely indicates satisfactory analytical performance, even though scientists were working out of a mobile lab in less than ideal field conditions. These results are intended to help in completing the regional Interagency Environmental Assessment underway by USGS, U.S. EPA, NOAA and FDA.

The report, "Bacteriological Water Quality in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, September 2005," by Donald M. Stoeckel and others, USGS Data Series 143, is available online at http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/ds143/
Link to Reference: Elizabeth Ashby, PONTCHARTRAIN NEWSPAPERS, 11/9/05 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Nearly 45 square miles of wetlands around Lake Pontchartrain have disappeared because of Hurricane Katrina
- We need the wetlands and natural ridges to help protect the levee system.
- we need to preach the blending of costal preservation and flood protection to prevent a future situation like Katrina.

Water

MANDEVILLE - Nearly 45 square miles of wetlands around Lake Pontchartrain have disappeared because of Hurricane Katrina, it was reported last week at a Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation meeting in Mandeville.
"Lake Pontchartrain suffered a greater wetland loss in this one event than it lost between 1990 and 2000," said Dr. John Lopez, director of LPBF's Coastal Program. "The pressure to focus more on flood protection may cause coastal restoration to be lost in the process. We need the wetlands and natural ridges to help protect the levee system. The modern world ecological engine and economic engine co-depend on one another."

Hurricane Katrina's destructive eyewall crossed over Lake Pontchartrain, he said, and four square miles of Northshore wetlands were lost because of the storm.

"Lake Pontchartrain recovered in miraculous time in the last eight weeks," said Carlton Dufrechou, LPBF's executive director. "What helped it was the fact it was healthier before the storm that it was in previous years. It cured itself once the pumping stopped. The cost to build a new levee system will be astronomical but we need to preach the blending of costal preservation and flood protection to prevent a future situation like Katrina."

LPBF has established a number of programs aimed at protecting and restoring the lake through preliminary assessments of the lake's habitat, Lopez said, and the Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy will be presented at this month's special legislative session on the integration of flood protection and coastal restoration to help Lake Pontchartrain survive and thrive.

The Water Quality Monitoring Program has increased its number of testing sites because approximately 9 billion cubic feet of water was pumped into Lake Pontchartrain from the Greater New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. This is equivalent to approximately 4.5 percent of the volume of the lake, said Program Director Andrea Bourgeois-Calvin.

"In general, we're looking pretty good and staying within safe levels which is where we want to be," she said. "Our numbers are encouraging, which disspells the lake's 'toxic soup' rumor because of the contaminated water pumped into the lake."

The Habitat Protection Program is aimed at focusing on the long-term impacts on the lake's habitat during the foundation process and studying ways to rebuild in an environmentally friendly manner, Calvin said.

"We want to meet halfway (on flood protection and coastal restoration) to protect resources while helping communities move forward," she said. "One positive thing is we are not losing the habitat to RV and trailer parks."

As more data is collected bi-weekly from most testing sites on the north and south shores, LPBF will present updates on the lake's condition and elect a new board of officers at its next meeting at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Lakeway 1 building on North Causeway Boulevard in Metairie.
Link to Reference: Randy Lee Loftis, The Dallas Morning News, November 6 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Altogether, government test samples contained at least 77 of the nearly 200 chemicals tested for. Although most were below the screening levels, at least 15 were higher.
- Among the most significant: Arsenic, Diesel fuel, a component of creosote, Dieldrin, Lead,
- Local environmentalists complain that they and other members of the public have been shut out of the decisions.

Water

DALLAS · The Army Corps of Engineers is planning one of the biggest environmental cleanups ever attempted: scraping miles of sediment laced with cancer-causing chemicals from New Orleans' flooded neighborhoods. Contaminants in the sediment include toxic metals, industrial compounds, petroleum byproducts and a banned insecticide, all at levels that signal potential cancer risks, a Dallas Morning News review of government tests shows.

The cleanup plans would involve crews using front-end loaders to scoop up contaminated sediment that Hurricane Katrina floods left in yards, playgrounds and other locations throughout the Greater New Orleans area.

Altogether, government test samples contained at least 77 of the nearly 200 chemicals tested for. Although most were below the screening levels, at least 15 were higher.

The sampling plan assembled in mid-September by the Environmental Protection Agency and quickly reviewed by outside scientific experts, targeted toxic substances in sediment left by the receding water. Eight of those that were higher than screening levels are known, probable or possible causes of cancer in people.

Among the most significant:

Arsenic. A known human carcinogen, it was the most common substance found, appearing at virtually every site tested. All but one of the sites that contained the toxic metal had more than the Environmental Protection Agency's cancer-risk screening level for arsenic in residential soil, which is 0.39 parts per million. The highest arsenic level found was 78 parts per million, 200 times the screening level. The vast majority of the sites tested had 10 times the cancer screening level.

Diesel fuel. About 150 residential tests sites had as much diesel as the soil around a leaking underground tank.

A component of creosote. Called benzo(a)pyrene, this substance occurred above the screening level at 100 sites. The highest was 570 times the screening level. A related chemical, benzo(b)fluoranthene, was above the screening level at 68 sites. The EPA says those two chemicals probably cause cancer, while California state officials say they definitely do.

Dieldrin. A banned insecticide, it was used against termites until 1987. It showed up at 58 locations. As with arsenic, virtually all the samples were higher than the EPA guideline for safe neighborhood soil.

Lead. It exceeded the EPA guideline at 17 sites.

The task of cleanup would be complex and huge, with crews covering almost an entire city and its suburbs while maneuvering around the remaining debris and damaged houses.

Decisions are still evolving on whatever follow-up testing might occur to check the long-term health of the New Orleans environment after the sediment is gone, said William H. Farland, the EPA's acting deputy administrator for science.

Local environmentalists complain that they and other members of the public have been shut out of the decisions.

"We've cooperated with the EPA on a great many things over the years," said Wilma Subra, a consulting chemist in New Iberia, La., who is monitoring the hurricanes' environmental impact for the Louisiana Environmental Action League, an advocacy group. "Now, we're having a hard time getting our calls returned."

EPA spokeswoman Eryn Witcher said the agency is releasing information as quickly as possible, but she and other EPA officials emphasized that they can offer only their best advice. Decisions, such as repopulating New Orleans, are strictly up to city officials, she said.

Information about the possible long-term risks in dozens of New Orleans neighborhoods is crucial as people decide whether to return home and as the city decides where or whether to rebuild
Link to Reference: JOE GYAN JR., New Orleans bureau, 11/05/05
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Highlights:
- a silver lining in the midst of the destruction and devastation: Shrimp, fish and blue crabs are plentiful in the aftermath of the killer storms.
- the infrastructure needed to support fishermen and seafood harvesters is virtually nonexistent.
- misinformation that the flood waters pumped from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain created a "toxic soup." Smith called the matter "the crisis on top of the crisis."

Water

EMPIRE -- Commercial fishermen and seafood harvesters in southeast Louisiana find themselves in the same boat in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and that boat is listing severely, industry officials said Friday. But there is a silver lining in the midst of the destruction and devastation: Shrimp, fish and blue crabs are plentiful in the aftermath of the killer storms.

That's the good news. The bad news, which was painfully obvious during a Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board-sponsored bus tour of lower Plaquemines Parish on Friday, is that the infrastructure needed to support fishermen and seafood harvesters is virtually nonexistent.

Ice, clean water, electricity, fuel, bait, docks and labor are in short supply, as are working boats.

"I don't know how this is going to come back. This is mind-boggling. They could make a movie down here," Don Schwab, vice president of operations for Paul Piazza & Sons Inc., one of the state's largest shrimp processing plants, said as the bus he was riding passed through Katrina-ravaged Empire.

Tracy Mitchel, assistant executive director of the Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, referred to Empire as "ground sub-zero."

Byron Despaux, chairman of the Lafitte-based Louisiana Shrimp Association, said high fuel prices and low shrimp prices already were plaguing the shrimping industry before Katrina hit Aug. 29 and Rita followed on Sept. 24.

Without financial assistance from the government, he said, "This industry's going to be in a hell of a mess."

"After Katrina came, it really put a big damper on our industry. It's getting worse and worse," Despaux said. "I don't know how we're going to rebuild this industry unless we get a lot of help. This industry is going to be gone. If you don't get the help, you're not going to be back."

Katrina essentially flattened lower Plaquemines from the elevated bridge at Empire to Venice at the mouth of the Mississippi River where it meets the Gulf of Mexico. Houses are pancaked. Boats are scattered about, resting on dry ground, against levees or on roads. The 165-foot menhaden boat "Sea Falcon" straddles La. 23 at the foot of the Empire bridge where Katrina's storm surge deposited it.

Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board executive director Ewell Smith estimated that 3,000 commercial fishing boats need to be put back into the water. He said only 15 to 20 percent of the commercial fishermen in the area are working.

Schwab said Paul Piazza & Sons can be up and running for the start of the shrimp season in May if it has workers and supply.

"If you don't have supply, you're just basically brick and mortar," he said.

Schwab said importers of cheaply priced shrimp are "taking advantage" of Louisiana's misfortune. Louisiana Shrimp Association president A.J. Fabre said cheap foreign imports are "ruining" the crab, crawfish and shrimp industries.

"The imports -- we've been slowly dying," he said.

Fabre said the seafood industry as a whole "needs a solution." He proposes convening a panel of seafood interests "to create a unified front to move forward."

"We're going to try to survive it," he said. "The real true shrimper will survive, but it's going to be a hard road."

Empire oyster harvester Mato Lebetich, who co-owns Lebetich Oyster LLC with his brother Anta, said his two 60-foot boats survived the hurricanes, but the lack of infrastructure has kept him out of the water and away from his 2,000 acres of oyster leases.

"We can't do nothing," the Croatian-born Lebetich said. "No electricity. No water. No docks. No fuel. There's nothing we can do now but wait. It's going to take a while to clean (up) all this. It don't look too good."

"But we're hard-working people. We will rebuild this. This wasn't our first rodeo," he said, referring to hurricanes Betsy and Camille. "No, I'm not giving up. We'll survive."

Buddy Pausina with the Louisiana Oyster Task Force said he does not see the oyster industries in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes ever coming back fully.

"I think it will be back differently," he said.

"Only the strong will survive this," Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board chairman Harlon Pearce, a seafood wholesaler in Kenner, added. "The commercial fishermen in Louisiana are a tough breed, but they need help."

Pearce, who noted that infrastructure was a problem before Katrina and Rita came calling, said the storms have given the commercial seafood industry an opportunity to do things better.

"Now we have the chance to do it right. We have a chance to rebuild our fisheries in a bigger and better way," he said. "We'll be back."

Greg Holt said his heavily damaged Empire menhaden plant also will be back. He plans to invest $36 million in the industry. The recovery, he said, will be challenging.

"It's going to come back. It's going to be very, very hard," he said. "The infrastructure in these areas is zero. Presently we have no way of getting any of our product to market."

Jim Rich with Wholesale Catfish Inc. of Abbeville said the south-central Louisiana crab industry took a major hit from Rita. Many traps and boats were lost, he said.

"There are a lot of crabs out there. The crab resource is very healthy. The crab industry is not so healthy," he said, adding that cheap crab meat imports from Venezuela are a major problem. "It's a bad situation."

Pearce and Smith said the commercial seafood industry's recovery also is being slowed by misinformation that the flood waters pumped from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain created a "toxic soup." Smith called the matter "the crisis on top of the crisis."

"The seafood in the marketplace is safe to eat," he stressed.
Link to Reference: Mike O'Toole, Washington File Staff Writer, 11/4/05 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- Marine life mostly intact; swift response reduces effects of contaminants
- able to pump out nearly 850 billion liters of water in 43 days, effectively “drying out” the city.
- MARINE LIFE FREE OF CONTAMINANTS, HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVED

Water

Marine life mostly intact; swift response reduces effects of contaminants
Washington – Much of the environmental damage feared in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina appears to have been avoided, in part due to the swift response of several U.S. government agencies.

In the city of New Orleans, which suffered massive flooding after levees holding back adjoining Lake Pontchartrain broke on August 29, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was able to pump out nearly 850 billion liters of water in 43 days, effectively “drying out” the city.

At the same time, the U.S. Coast Guard, working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, used equipment to scoop up spilled oil and other debris, thereby limiting the effects of contamination.

As of October 28, the Coast Guard said more than 30 million liters of petroleum were spilled in the Gulf of Mexico and adjoining waters due to Katrina. The Coast Guard estimates, however, that only about 17 kilometers of shoreline were affected.

The spilled oil was estimated to have affected fewer than 200 animals; many were recovered, cleaned and released by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel.

MARINE LIFE FREE OF CONTAMINANTS, HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVED

On October 11, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that its sample tests of Gulf of Mexico fish showed no levels of the E. coli bacteria associated with human or animal fecal contamination.

An October 4 study showed no levels of oil contamination and very low levels of pesticides or industrial chemicals "that are likely not related to hurricane runoff," according to NOAA.

White shrimp, harvested in the Mississippi Sound running into the Gulf, also showed no elevated levels of contaminants, NOAA said.

The EPA announced on October 31 that more than 450,000 kilograms of household hazardous waste -- home cleaning products, lawn and garden pesticides and herbicides, fuel, paint, batteries -- had been collected in Louisiana in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Link to Reference: ScienceDaily.com, Source: Harvard Medical School, 2005-11-03 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- The Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, along with co-sponsors Swiss Re and the United Nations Development Programme, today released a study showing that climate change will significantly affect the health of humans and ecosystems and these impacts will have economic consequences.
- The study reports that the insurance industry will be at the center of this issue, absorbing risk and helping society and business to adapt and reduce new risks.
- A comparable event would be the aftermath of flooding, contamination and homelessness witnessed after Hurricane Katrina hit the US Gulf coast in August.

Water

The Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, along with co-sponsors Swiss Re and the United Nations Development Programme, today released a study showing that climate change will significantly affect the health of humans and ecosystems and these impacts will have economic consequences. The study, entitled "Climate Change Futures: Health, Ecological and Economic Dimensions," surveys existing and future costs associated with climate change and the growing potential for abrupt, widespread impacts. The study reports that the insurance industry will be at the center of this issue, absorbing risk and helping society and business to adapt and reduce new risks.

"We found that impacts of climate change are likely to lead to ramifications that overlap in several areas including our health, our economy and the natural systems on which we depend," said Dr. Paul Epstein, the study's lead author and Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. "A comparable event would be the aftermath of flooding, contamination and homelessness witnessed after Hurricane Katrina hit the US Gulf coast in August. Analysis of the potential ripple effects stemming from an unstable climate shows the need for more sustainable practices to safeguard and insure a healthy future."

The CCF study is comprised of three primary elements: trends, case studies and scenarios, which detail and analyze current climate change related consequences for human health, ecological systems and the global economy. Through two potential scenarios, the CCF report examines possible impacts of climate change that may impose severe strains on the financial sector.

"As a reinsurance company, our goal is to evaluate and plan for the long-term." said Jacques Dubois, Chairman of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation. The parent company, Swiss Re, is a leading global reinsurance company and a co-sponsor of the study. Dubois continued, "Swiss Re has an ongoing effort to focus on potential economic impacts of climate change. This study adds to this by helping to review areas of increased vulnerability to climate change from a unique perspective. Whereas most discussions on climate change impacts hone in on the natural sciences, with little to no mention of potential economic consequences, this report provides a crucial look at physical and economic aspects of climate change. It also assesses current risks and potential business opportunities that can help minimize future risks."

There are 10 case studies within the report, written by scientific experts, that outline current effects of climate change with regard to infectious diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus, Lyme disease and asthma; extreme weather events such as heat waves and floods; and ecosystems such as forests, agriculture, marine habitat and water. Economic implications as well as possible near-future impacts are projected for each case.

The study shows that warming and extreme weather affect the breeding and range of disease vectors such as mosquitoes responsible for malaria, which currently kills 3,000 African children a day, and West Nile virus, which costs the US $500 million in 1999. Lyme disease, the most widespread vector-borne disease, is currently increasing in North America as winters warm and ticks proliferate. The study notes that the area suitable for tick habitat will increase by 213% by the 2080s. The report also finds that ragweed pollen growth, stimulated by increasing levels of carbon dioxide, may be contributing to the rising incidence of asthma.

Charles McNeill, Environment Programme Manager for the United Nations Development Programme, a co-sponsor of the study, pointed out that these costs will fall disproportionately on developing nations. "While developed nations are not immune to the impacts of climate change, those populations that are already struggling with myriad social challenges will bear the greatest brunt of climate change," said Dr. McNeill.

Background

The CCF project stemmed from a common concern of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, Swiss Re and the United Nations Development Programme. This concern was centered on the emerging threats to health from climate change and the implications of diseases of humans and Earth's life-support systems for economies and development. Unique aspects of the study include:
• Integration of corporate stakeholders in the assessment process
• Combined focus on physical, biological and economic impacts
• Anticipation of short-term impacts, rather than century-scaled projections
• Scenarios of plausible futures with gradual and step-wise change
• A framework to deal with and plan for climate-related surprise impacts

In September 2003, a Scoping Conference for the CCF project was held at the United Nations in New York and involved more than 80 participants from multiple scientific disciplines, corporations, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations. Through the initial deliberations, follow-up workshops and teleconferences, a set of case studies and impact scenarios was developed.

In June 2004, a conference and Executive Roundtable were held at Swiss Re's Centre for Global Dialogue near Zurich, Switzerland. This gathering expanded the reach of the project to include more representatives from the financial sector, allowing deeper exploration of the links between health, environmental and economic consequences of the changing climate. Risks and opportunities were addressed, as were policies and measures commensurate with the magnitude of the possible futures envisioned.

In August 2004, a follow-up workshop was facilitated to standardize the methodology for the case studies and scenarios. The resulting study was released today at the American Museum of Natural History.
Link to Reference: Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter Fri Nov 4, 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- continued sampling going on of drinking water, surface water and soil sampling,
- The so-called toxic soup of contaminated water and sewage wasn't as hazardous as feared, Lichtveld said. "The drinking water is virtually all on line, the sewer system is being repaired."
- one million pounds of household hazardous waste has been collected in Louisiana as of the end of October. This waste consists largely of cleaning products, lawn and garden products, pesticides and herbicides, fuels and paints, as well as car batteries.

Water

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- While Hurricane Katrina took a heavy toll on New Orleans, the city is making steady progress returning to normal, even while some health dangers remain. Experts say the major health problems are mold, hazardous waste and injuries suffered during the cleanup.

"There is continued sampling going on of drinking water, surface water and soil sampling," said Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, chairwoman of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. "For all of those, there are no indications of public health dangers," she added.

The so-called toxic soup of contaminated water and sewage wasn't as hazardous as feared, Lichtveld said. "The drinking water is virtually all on line, the sewer system is being repaired."

In addition, seafood and fish have been sampled in Lake Pontchartrain and other areas and found safe, Lichtveld said. "That is the good news," she said. "We need to continue to monitor on a long-term basis."

According to Lichtveld, mold remains the one major area of concern. "The advice from the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention is that if you go home, you need to use gloves and masks if you are going to remove the mold," she said.

Lichtveld warned that people with health conditions such as asthma or compromised immune systems should stay away from mold and not attempt to get rid of it themselves.

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that New Orleans doctors are seeing a rise in what locals are calling "Katrina cough," believed to be caused by allergies to the mold and dust resulting from the storm.

"It started out as a sore throat and scratchy eyes. That turned into a cough again, and that's where it's stayed," affected resident Christophe Hinton, 38, told the newspaper. Dr. Kevin Jordan, director of medical affairs at New Orlean's Touro Infirmary and Memorial Medical Center, told the Times the center had seen a 25 percent rise in such cases since Katrina.

"The mold problem is a very large one in terms of the number of structures that have had flooding and are probably going to have mold damage as a consequence," said Dr. Stephen Redd, chief of the air pollution and respiratory branch at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health.

The CDC has advised people working in homes infested with mold to wear gloves and face masks, added CDC spokeswomen Bernadette Burden. "People need to protect themselves," she said. "If a person has any type of sensitivity or a compromised immune system, or any type of allergy or preexisting respiratory condition, there is a likelihood of having a sensitivity to mold."

Even though the magnitude of the mold infestation is greater than seen before, local experts say that dealing with the problem is not new, Burden said. "They have worked alongside CDC experts for years and are capable of dealing with the situation," she said.

If a home wasn't flooded, it's unlikely there would be a significant mold problem, Lichtveld said. But, if a house was flooded, residents will have to remove all the mold before the house is safe to live in. This means stripping carpet, sheet rock and insulation. If the job is extensive, Lichtveld recommended working with people experienced in removing mold.

Burden said local experts are making house-by-house assessments to determine the extent of mold infestation and whether a home can be saved.

The CDC has guidelines for when individuals can live in a home with mold without having to "wear respiratory protection on an ongoing basis," Redd said. "A lot of it boils down to what the level of mold in the house is and whether you can be in the house while remediation is being done," he added.

Lichtveld also cautioned that discarded material needs to be disposed of properly to avoid exposure to hazardous waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that about one million pounds of household hazardous waste has been collected in Louisiana as of the end of October. This waste consists largely of cleaning products, lawn and garden products, pesticides and herbicides, fuels and paints, as well as car batteries.

Redd cautioned that the burning of debris can also cause air pollution problems. "There are discussions going on that are aimed at reducing the volume of debris and at the same time being protective of human health by minimizing exposure to particulate matter from smoke from burning debris," he said.

On a brighter note, Lichtveld said more hospitals are reopening. "The hospitals and clinics are coming on line," she said. In addition, the city has been inspecting restaurants and declaring them safe to eat in, she said. "There are pink signs in the windows of all the restaurants, she said. "You can feel comfortable going in and eating."

As for the long-term outlook, Lichtveld sees the rebuilding of New Orleans as a chance to make important infrastructure changes. "There are a number of wonderful opportunities for the city as it rebuilds to do things right," she said.
Link to Reference: Environmental News Network, Dr. James Martin, The Martin Clinic November 03, 2005 Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- the "toxic soup" contained in the floodwaters of New Orleans has been making headlines around the world, but this recipe is served up daily in practically every city throughout the United States. While the recipes differ from state to state, the "backbone" ingredients -- pesticides, heavy metals, petroleum products and other industrial chemicals -- are virtually everywhere.
- Toxic chemicals are in our air, our water, our fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and poultry. They're in everyday products like household cleaners, nail polish and remover, make-up, lotions and cigarettes. And now they're showing up in newborn babies.
- The days are gone when we can spray chemicals without a thought of where these chemicals end up because they end up in our air, our water, our soil and in our children.

Water

News of the "toxic soup" contained in the floodwaters of New Orleans has been making headlines around the world, but this recipe is served up daily in practically every city throughout the United States. While the recipes differ from state to state, the "backbone" ingredients -- pesticides, heavy metals, petroleum products and other industrial chemicals -- are virtually everywhere.

Americans watched in horror and shame as our government -- on every level -- did not live up to our expectations and as a result so many suffered in New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast following hurricane Katrina. Yet this same travesty continues with the toxic assault on our environment that affects everyone within our borders.

So many have put their trust, along with the health and well being of our country, in government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institute of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but the proverbial levee won't hold here either. To date the EPA has approved over 80,000 synthetic chemicals that continue to be released into the environment. We are told that these toxins are at "acceptable" levels but common sense tells us otherwise.

Toxic chemicals are in our air, our water, our fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and poultry. They're in everyday products like household cleaners, nail polish and remover, make-up, lotions and cigarettes. And now they're showing up in newborn babies.

A study released this summer by the Environmental Work Group (EWG) tested umbilical cord blood of infants born in the U.S. and found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants. In total, tests identified 287 chemicals of which 180 cause cancer, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 208 are linked to birth defects or abnormal development.

These findings refute the assertion by some that the placenta shields cord blood (and the fetus) from most chemicals and other toxins in the environment. But we don't need a researcher's study to tell us what we already know -- carrying around these toxins in our systems is not acceptable.

For those who need a little more convincing, consider this: A Washington State University study reported in the June 3 issue of Science Magazine indicates that exposure to environmental toxins impacts health far greater than anyone ever imagined. Researchers found that the effects are passed along to offspring for as many as four generations.

It's time for the national spotlight to shine on the actions we must take to reduce our exposures to these toxins in our homes, schools and businesses. First and foremost -- ignore the chemical industry's assault on our lives. Don't buy into the current "better living through chemistry" mind set. We need to be conscious of our actions. The days are gone when we can spray chemicals without a thought of where these chemicals end up because they end up in our air, our water, our soil and in our children.

There are plenty of all-natural alternatives to keep any surface clean and germ free. The same is true for pesticides. Buying organic fruits, vegetables and meats may be a bit more costly, but what price do you put on the hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and other chemicals in non-organic foods we consume?

We don't have to wait for Congressional confirmation to recognize that our children are facing problems like asthma, leukemia, autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD and diabetes in alarmingly high numbers. And the rates keep rising. There are safe, accessible and effective methods available to eliminate these toxins from the body. This information must be mainstreamed into our national healthcare system and national media.

It's time for America to take a long hard look at our actions -- and inaction -- over the past centuries. Some view our toxic environment as an unavoidable byproduct of our industrialized world; others claim it is callous greed -- the need for power and money at any cost. No matter where we ultimately choose to lay blame, we owe it to our children and to the planet they must inherit to do all we can to clean up our act.
Link to site: Tests of white shrimp samples collected the week of September 12 from Mississippi Sound found no elevated contaminants. Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- samples were tested for hydrocarbon exposure due to oil spills or urban runoffs and other contaminants, such as PCBs and DDTs.
- Analyses found PCB levels below five parts per billion (ppb) and DDT levels below two ppb, which were within U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for consumption. FDA guidelines allow PCB levels of 2,000 ppb and DDT levels of 5,000 ppb.
- Analyses also found low levels of hydrocarbons in the shrimp, less than 15 ppb. In addition, analyses showed no detectable level of brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) in the shrimp samples.

Water

Susan Buchanan, NOAA Fisheries Service, Oct. 26, 2005
NOAA announced today that tests of white shrimp samples collected the week of September 12 from Mississippi Sound found no elevated contaminants. The agency collected 23 samples of white shrimp from Mobile Bay to Lake Borgne two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast. The samples were tested for hydrocarbon exposure due to oil spills or urban runoffs and other contaminants, such as PCBs and DDTs.

Analyses found PCB levels below five parts per billion (ppb) and DDT levels below two ppb, which were within U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for consumption. FDA guidelines allow PCB levels of 2,000 ppb and DDT levels of 5,000 ppb.

Analyses also found low levels of hydrocarbons in the shrimp, less than 15 ppb. In addition, analyses showed no detectable level of brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) in the shrimp samples.

NOAA tested samples of shrimp that were caught prior to hurricane Katrina and found similarly low levels of toxins. The agency previously announced that analyses of water, sediment, crab samples and fish tissue also collected during the week of September 12 found no elevated contaminants or bacteria.

NOAA scientists currently are analyzing the second round of samples collected from the Gulf of Mexico during the week of September 26. Agency scientists returned to port on October 17 after collecting the third round of samples aboard a chartered shrimp trawler, the Patricia Jean. Scientists collected samples from areas that most likely would be affected by delayed releases of toxic substances, such as the mouth of the Mississippi River and the western Mississippi Sound where water from Lake Pontchartrain enters the Gulf of Mexico.

NOAA will continue to collect and test samples at least through the end of the year to monitor for any environmental change over time.

The NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving the nation's living marine resources and their habitat through scientific research, management and enforcement. The NOAA Fisheries Service provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public.

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Hurricane Katrina Environmental Impacts

NOAA Fisheries Service

Media Contact:
Susan Buchanan, NOAA Fisheries Service, (301) 713-2370
Link to site: permission to dredge into a trapped body of nasty water in a residential area of Gautier so the tide can clean it out. Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- During Katrina, sewage and debris surged into the lake and left it filled with sewage, nasty water and appliances.
- digging a trench to the body of water and letting the Sound flush it out was like "running your sewer pipe to the Gulf."
- The proposal was to dredge a 10-foot swath, 6 feet deep for about 50 feet to connect the lake to the Sound.

Water
Karen Nelson, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 01, 2005
PASCAGOULA - Jackson County supervisors have discussed asking the Department of Marine Resources for permission to dredge into a trapped body of nasty water in a residential area of Gautier so the tide can clean it out.

Supervisor Tim Broussard, whose district contains the problem, said DMR offered to use its post-Katrina emergency authority to allow the dredge work. The lake once was connected to the Sound and subject to the tide, but access has filled in over the years with storms. During Katrina, sewage and debris surged into the lake and left it filled with sewage, nasty water and appliances.

Supervisor Frank Leach said that digging a trench to the body of water and letting the Sound flush it out was like "running your sewer pipe to the Gulf." He questioned whether the county wanted to do it, even if it did have permission from the DMR. Supervisors decided late Monday to get more information on the project and check out the environmental liabilities before making a decision.

Broussard said residents around the water are suffering with the smell and fear possible health hazards. The proposal was to dredge a 10-foot swath, 6 feet deep for about 50 feet to connect the lake to the Sound.

The project was on the list of areas to be dredged by the county in the coming years, but the hurricane debris has made it more urgent, Broussard said. It is located in the Pointe Clear subdivision at the end of Tarpon Street.

Bill Walker, executive director of the DMR, said he based his decision on that fact that it is a little amount of "funky" water going into the Sound compared to other breaches the Coast has had to deal with since Katrina. It's very short-term pollution, he said.

"We weighed the pros and cons and the benefits outweigh the fact that a small amount of pollution will enter the Sound," he said. Walker said the lake actually is still subject to the tide at high tide. "It's not like the body of water doesn't communicate with the Sound," Walker said. But at the rate the tide enters the area, it will never be cleaned out, Broussard said.
Link to site: Fire ants can be a serious problem after hurricanes — particular in flooded areas, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter. Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- When the waters rise, the fire ants are forced out of their underground nests and float in a mass on top of floodwaters,
- Even worse, once the flooding recedes, fire ants can be found almost anywhere
- the red imported fire ant, these ants and their colonies can present a potentially serious medical threat to people and animals during and after times of flooding,
- Floating fire ant colonies can look like ribbons, a mat or an actual “ball” of ants floating on the water, according to the experts, who say these writhing masses of ants contain the entire colony, worker ants, eggs, larvae, pupae, winged males and females and queen ants.

Water
Tom Merrill, Delta Farm Press, Oct 31, 2005
BATON ROUGE, La. — Fire ants can be a serious problem after hurricanes — particular in flooded areas, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

When the waters rise, the fire ants are forced out of their underground nests and float in a mass on top of floodwaters,” said LSU AgCenter entomology associate Patricia Beckley. “For example, we saw that firsthand recently when people were unable to leave the New Orleans Superdome (after Hurricane Katrina) because of the masses of floating fire ants.”

Even worse, once the flooding recedes, fire ants can be found almost anywhere — including inside your home or in debris piles — so extra precautions should be taken, LSU AgCenter experts say.

“In all areas of Louisiana infested with the red imported fire ant, these ants and their colonies can present a potentially serious medical threat to people and animals during and after times of flooding,” said LSU AgCenter entomologist Dale Pollet, adding, “Floodwaters will not drown fire ants. Instead, their colonies will actually emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, float and flow with the water until they reach a dry area or object that they can crawl up on.”

Floating fire ant colonies can look like ribbons, a mat or an actual “ball” of ants floating on the water, according to the experts, who say these writhing masses of ants contain the entire colony — worker ants, eggs, larvae, pupae, winged males and females and queen ants.

As the floodwaters recede, these floating fire ant colonies will cling to any structure that they come in contact with and are attracted to anything that might give them shelter until a mound can be re-established in the soil, Pollet and Beckley explain.

“This means debris piles from the floodwaters or piles of items from flooded homes are potential nesting sites for fire ants,” Beckley said. “So you need to be cautious and be aware that fire ants can be under anything.”

The LSU AgCenter experts also offer these tips on avoiding fire ant bites when cleaning up after flooding:

• When debris is picked up, pay attention to what is on, under or in it, especially if the debris has been sitting in one area for several days.

• Keep in mind that fire ants love to get under furniture, carpet strips and old wood to re-establish their colony.

• If using shovels or other tools, spread talcum or baby powder on the handle. Fire ants cannot climb onto vertical surfaces dusted with talcum powder unless the surface gets wet or the powder is rubbed off.

• If fire ants are seen in a pile of debris that must be handled, use a shovel or other tool to avoid ant contact, or consider treating the pile with a fast-acting household or lawn and garden insecticide.

Recommendations on treating for fire ants after a storm differ from the usual ones that call for the use of baits that are carried back to the colony and eventually kill it.

“At the time of flooding or right after flooding, general preventive treatments for controlling the fire ants are out of the question,” Pollet said. “Ant colonies or ants encountered now need to be dealt with quickly.”

The experts say aerosol spray products containing pyrethrins or pyrethrum derivatives (tetramethrin or allethrin) or Bengal’s Deltramethrin dust labeled for use on “ants” or “crawling insects” can yield a quick knockdown of the insects and will break down quickly.

“Spray or dust as many of the ants as possible,” Pollet advised, cautioning, however, to avoid waterways, since pyrethroids can be quite toxic to fish and crustaceans. “Just spray or dust surfaces, cracks of infested objects and debris. Then return after the treatment has had time to work.”

Although much of the flooding the state has seen this year has receded, the LSU AgCenter experts point out that ants are particularly dangerous during flooding.

They say to avoid floating mats of fire ants during a flood and to be careful not to let ants come into contact with oars if you are in a boat, since that would allow ants to cling to the oars and move into your boat. They also say to wear protective clothing, such as rubber boots, rain gear and cuffed gloves, that can help prevent ants from reaching your skin when working in floodwater.

“While ants are ‘rafting’ (floating in water), they will inject more than two times as much venom,” Beckley cautions. “Remember, if ants contact the skin they will sting.

“You should try to remove any ants that get on you by immediately rubbing them off. But ants can cling to the skin if submerged and even a high-pressure water spray may not dislodge them.”

For more information on fire ants and a variety of other topics related to storm cleanup and recovery, visit www.lsuagcenter.com.

Tom Merrill is News Editor for LSU AgCenter Communications. (225–578–5896 or tmerrill@agcenter.lsu.edu)
Link to site: Gulf of mexico waters thus far appear free of chemical contaminants that could have been washed from the land by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, state and federal scientists report. Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- sampling Gulf waters to determine whether the two hurricanes swept pollutants from land into coastal waters.
- Water samples analyzed thus far contain no toxic chemicals attributable to runoff following the hurricanes, he says.
- concerns about the toxicity of the sediments coating formerly flooded areas, especially in New Orleans.

Water

Cheryl Hogue, Chemical and Engineering News, Volume 83, Number 44October 31, 2005
Gulf of mexico waters thus far appear free of chemical contaminants that could have been washed from the land by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, state and federal scientists report.
Steven A. Murawski, a senior scientist for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, says federal and state agencies are sampling Gulf waters to determine whether the two hurricanes swept pollutants from land into coastal waters. Water samples analyzed thus far contain no toxic chemicals attributable to runoff following the hurricanes, he says.

As part of their analyses, scientists are checking coastal waters from eastern Texas to Alabama for the presence of brominated flame retardants, which Murawski says is an indicator of “acute urban runoff.” Thus far, scientists have detected none of these brominated compounds in Gulf waters, he says. It is likely, therefore, that the low levels of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls found in the water did not come from the storm surges, Murawski adds.

Meanwhile, on Oct. 20 public health officials said at an Institute of Medicine (IOM) conference that, currently, the greatest potential threat to human health in the wake of the hurricanes may be exposure to mold. They also expressed concerns about the toxicity of the sediments coating formerly flooded areas, especially in New Orleans.

Among IOM conference speakers was Paul J. Lioy, a professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, N.J., who has extensively studied health effects stemming from the World Trade Center attacks, including ailments linked to dusts that coated building interiors. Noting that sediments dry out and can end up as airborne dust, Lioy urged officials to analyze the sediments as soon as possible.

“Know what’s in there,” he said, so returning residents and workers doing demolition and cleanup can be told how to protect themselves appropriately.
Link to site: Boats of every size now litter marinas and residential neighborhoods, navigation canals and highways. Return to: watercenter.org
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Highlights:
- it's a nautical disaster that has brought Louisiana's coastal industries largely to a standstill, keeping fishers off the water and clogging ports that serve lucrative oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Diesel and engine oil is leaking from some vessels, fouling marshlands.
- removal of an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 grounded, wrecked or lost recreational boats.
- initially insisted the Coast Guard was handling the smaller vessels, but later changed their message to say they were "still in discussions" about the matter with federal agencies.

Water

Matthew Brown, October 31, 2005, West Bank bureau
With thousands of boats wrecked by hurricanes, Louisiana's fishing industry faces a bleak future

This hurricane season's heavy toll can be tallied in endless ways, from the tragedy of more than 1,000 confirmed Louisiana deaths to the bizarre sight of 5,000 refrigerators stacked at an eastern New Orleans dumping ground.

In fishing villages such as Empire, Venice, Hopedale and Chef Menteur Pass, the havoc is counted in boats, an estimated 3,000 fishing and work vessels picked up and wildly scattered by Katrina and Rita.

Boats of every size now litter marinas and residential neighborhoods, navigation canals and highways. They are smashed, bent and flipped on their sides. Grounded, sunk and shattered to bits. Some emerged with barely a scratch, but came to rest a thousand yards or more from the nearest waterway.

From Venice to Cameron, it's a nautical disaster that has brought Louisiana's coastal industries largely to a standstill, keeping fishers off the water and clogging ports that serve lucrative oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Diesel and engine oil is leaking from some vessels, fouling marshlands.

The Coast Guard Wreck and Salvage Group is charged with mopping up the mess, a task that could take another six months or more. But critics say additional equipment and crews are needed if Louisiana's crippled fishing industry can ever hope for a rebound.

"The (salvage) cranes that are there now are not capable of getting onto the land to get the boats out. We need more subcontractors to go in and get the boats," said A.J. Fabre, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. "It's a hell of a mess. We need to get the fishing industry up and running."

The Coast Guard's job description does not include the removal of an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 grounded, wrecked or lost recreational boats. More than two months after Katrina, it is unclear who will take care of those.

State Department of Environmental Quality officials initially insisted the Coast Guard was handling the smaller vessels, but later changed their message to say they were "still in discussions" about the matter with federal agencies.

The Coast Guard said it cannot salvage recreational boats with existing resources.

"Our plate is full," said Lt. Cmdr. Scott Calhoun, supervisor of the maritime agency's Wreck and Salvage Group. "We have more than 2,500 reported cases and would expect to have in excess of 3,000. . . . A lot of the vessels can float, but a lot of them are completely demolished and will be disposed of as trash."

More contractors on way

Working under an $85 million Federal Emergency Management Agency contract, the Coast Guard has brought in salvage firms with five heavy-lift, barge-based cranes to lead the commercial vessel cleanup. The maritime agency through Saturday had removed 78 boats, mostly in Plaquemines Parish, versus more than 800 salvaged privately.

The arduous nature of the salvage jobs was seen in the recent removal of a mud-filled shrimp boat, the Ocean Queen, from the bottom of a canal in Empire.

Raising and draining the 60-foot steel-hulled boat took an 18-person crew a day and a half using two towering cranes. Within a mile radius of the operation, an estimated 200 boats awaited their turn, including a pair of 150-foot pogy boats straddling Highway 23, about 40 smaller shrimp and oyster boats in a tangled heap on dry ground beneath the Empire Canal bridge and dozens more scattered throughout Empire in every imaginable state of disarray.

Calhoun said more contractors, including several with land-based cranes, could start as soon as this week.

"We're trying to bring in other companies to decrease the job time," Calhoun said as he watched a salvage crew pump diesel-fouled water from the hold of the Ocean Queen. "But there's only a very few companies in the country that can do these jobs. It's not as simple as people would like it to be."

In the interim, he said, the few cranes available are concentrating on clearing marinas and blocked waterways.

When that's done, the Coast Guard still must tackle hundreds of trickier recoveries, of vessels dropped by floodwaters in neighborhoods far from any waterway or ensnared in thick stands of cypress trees where maneuvering a crane barge could be all but impossible.

Double whammy

Most fishers evacuated before the storm hit, leaving the Coast Guard scrambling to track down boat owners so they can find out what they want done with their vessels. In some cases, the boats themselves bear spray-painted messages with names and phone numbers of owners.

Others display more direct pleas. "Please put me in water as soon as you can," read one message . "I need (to) go to work."

But David Magruder, an insurance agent representing 130 shrimp boat owners, said salvage rules set up by the Coast Guard could end up slowing the return to work for many. Uninsured boat owners are not charged for salvage services. But others will have a bill sent to their insurance company, with the fee deducted from their policy.

Magruder said that means his clients face a double whammy. First they paid thousands of dollars for insurance. Now they stand to lose tens of thousands of dollars out of their policies through salvage fees that can top $50,000 for larger boats.

"We're going to see there's not enough money left in the policies to repair the boats," Magruder said. "Some of them paid $20,000 for their insurance. If you had insurance you're at a disadvantage. That's backward."

Help 'sooner or later'

Some fishers such as Henry Hess of Empire have camped out on their grounded boats to make sure they don't miss help when it comes. His shrimp boat, the Miss Jodie II, was picked up by floodwaters from a marina and dropped onto dry land about 100 yards away.

"It's killing me having it up here," Hess said about two weeks ago as he stood on the boat's prow, cradling a beer. But by the end of last week, he was back on the water, one of the few Plaquemines-based shrimpers to already rebound from the storm.

"If you stay down there, somebody's going to help you sooner or later," he said.

In the early days after Katrina, there was concern the smashed vessels concealed a floating graveyard, entombing the bodies of stubborn fishers who tried to save their boats by riding out the storm.

At least four shrimpers did ride it out in the Empire Canal, but survived to give Plaquemines Parish officials a videotape depicting the storm's destructive stomp through the marina where they'd tied up.

So far, that's the only evidence to emerge of fishers who refused to leave their craft.

"Not one body," Calhoun said.

Since the beginning of salvage operations in mid-September, the Coast Guard crews have spent most of their time in the Plaquemines communities of Empire and Venice, where the local economies are highly dependent on fishing and oil activities. Calhoun said about 200 boats in need of salvage have been reported in Empire, and aerial maps show possibly as many more in the immediate vicinity that have yet to be entered into a Coast Guard database.

About 20 miles away in Venice are an additional estimated 100 boats, and up to several hundred more in St. Bernard Parish, where the Coast Guard is just beginning to assess vessels. Hundreds more will need removal or relocation in Grand Isle, Slidell and Mandeville, eastern New Orleans, the Rigolets and Chef Menteur Pass, and to the west in Morgan City and Cameron Parish.

Many that sank will require divers to check for hull damage before they can be raised, said Ted Hosking, a salvage master for T&T Marine Salvage of Galveston, Texas, one of three companies with Coast Guard contracts. Then the vessels must be refloated, pumped free of water and tied to a secure berth, all the while surrounded by pollution booms meant to capture diesel or engine oil spills.

"People say it's only a little fishing boat, but it takes the same amount of time as a large cargo vessel," Hosking said.

Pulling up or moving a boat often is just the beginning of the process. Hai, a shrimper who goes by just one name, was one of the first fishers in Venice to have his boat salvaged, by New Jersey-based Donjon Marine, the Coast Guard's lead contractor. The Miss Kimberly had flipped onto its top in a canal outside the Venice Marina.

That was in early October. Right after it was salvaged and returned to the marina, Hai and another man, Ronald Taylor, began lugging buckets full of mud from inside the boat. More than two weeks later, that grueling chore was not finished.

Major repairs still are needed to get the Miss Kimberly running, and Hai predicted it will be months before he can fish again.

"It's totaled," he said. "The generator is gone. The transmission is gone. The engine is gone. The outriggers are gone. The cabin is totaled. If I get my insurance money and get some more help, maybe six months until I fish. If not, it would take forever."