HURRICANE UNIFIED COMMAND
ORLEANS PARISH
DEQ
I OUIRIANA^*1
PROGRESS REPORT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AT A GLANCE
7
316
57
3,178,377
613,938
197,381
198,009
83,499
10,082,317
75
Drinking Water Plant
Assessments*
Wastewater Facility
Assessments
Industry Damage
Assessments
Hazardous Waste
Containers Collected
Electronic Items
Collected
White Goods Collected
# of Appliances from
which Freon was
Extracted
Pounds of
Ammunition/
Explosives Collected*
Pounds of Cumulative
Waste Disposed
School Lab
Assessments
Since September 2005, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Louisiana Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality
(LDEQ) have worked together to
address environmental hazards
from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
to help Orleans Parish recover.
One of EPA and LDEQ's first
priorities was to ensure residents
returning to all the cities affected
by the hurricanes had safe drink-
ing water. Throughout Louisiana,
190 assessments were con-
ducted at drinking water facili-
ties, of which 7 were in Orleans,
Jefferson, St. Bernard, and
Plaquemines Parishes. Similarly,
316 wastewater treatment
plants were assessed for
damage.
Next, EPA and LDEQ turned to
federally-permitted facilities. The
agencies conducted interviews
and site visits at hazardous
waste storage, transfer or dis-
posal facilities from February
20th to March 6th. During this
time, 562 facilities in southern
Louisiana were addressed,
including57 facilities in Orleans
Parish. The site visits and inter-
views established that employees could return to work at facilities
operating in accordance with federal and state regulations.
Because of concerns that damaged chemicals in school biology and
chemistry laboratories could cause a health hazard, EPA and LDEQ
conducted assessments at 362 schools in southern Louisiana.
Some chemical containers were found to be damaged by the hurri-
canes, by flood waters and/or from heat exposure. EPA and LDEQ,
in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and local fire depart-
ments, removed dangerous chemicals from 116 schools in southern
Louisiana. Seventy-five schools in Orleans Parish were assessed;
chemicals were removed from 27 of them.
Paint, computers, washing machines, and refrigerators in homes
under normal circumstances are not usually considered hazardous.
However, when hundreds of thousands of these items become waste
products at the same time, the hazardous components in them
could create problems. To help remove these materials from the
St. Tammany Parfeh
waste going to Louisiana's municipal landfills, EPA and LDEQ col-
lected 3,989,696 units consisting of appliances, hazardous waste
containers, and home electronics. The hazardous materials were
recycled or disposed in landfills designed to handle them safely. In
Orleans Parish, EPA and LDEQ have disposed of 10,082,317 pounds
of waste as of May 31, 2008.
In response to community concerns about potential harm from fire-
arms, ammunition and explosives, EPA began collecting these mate-
rials for appropriate disposal in January 2006. In southeastern Lou-
isiana parishes, 2,118 firearms and 83,499 pounds of ammunition,
explosives, fireworks and other similar items were collected. As of
May 31, 2008, across southern Louisiana, a total of 2,342 firearms
and 96,987 pounds of ammunition, explosives, fireworks and other
similar items have been collected.
Left:
EPA sampling water
in Lake
Ponchartrain.
*Reflects more than Orleans Parish activities
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