DEQ: Landfill Next To Vietnamese Community Safe

NEW ORLEANS -- State environmental regulators said that test results show that a landfill built next to a Vietnamese community in New Orleans is safe.

 

But the announcement has done little to quell a bitter fight over the Chef Menteur Landfill in eastern New Orleans. The dump was opened to handle debris from Hurricane Katrina.

 

Air and water samples were taken several weeks ago to see if contaminants such as zinc and asbestos are being released. The Department of Environmental Quality said that sampling shows there are no risks and the dump is not toxic.

 

But a top leader of the Vietnamese community said the samples were taken shortly after the landfill opened and it's too early to predict the long-term effects.

 

The landfill is big enough to handle one-third of the estimated hurricane waste in New Orleans.