WWLTV.COM
A recently re-opened landfill in New Orleans East has continued to cause controversy.
WWL-TV
File photo of protests regarding the opening of a New Orleans East landfill.
More than three weeks ago, Mayor Ray Nagin agreed to have the Chef Menteur Highway site temporarily closed for testing.
Members of a nearby community said they feared the landfill could have possible hazardous material.
When testing took place this week, community members said samples of the landfill’s debris were never taken. Instead, they said state environmental officials would only allow them to watch debris collection from a bus.
DEQ officials said air and water samples were taken and that debris samples from the landfill were unnecessary.
"From a scientific standpoint, if you look at, what's going to be meaningful if you go in and grab a piece of waste and you sample it, what does that really tell you? In essence it really doesn't tell you anything," said DEQ spokesman Chuck Carr Brown.
Father Ngyuen, leader of the community protest, said that goes against the original agreement.
"We were to do the testing on site, and that any sample our experts decide to test the sample would be split evenly among all the parties involved so that there would be no question of the data," said Nyguen.
By keeping the landfill open, officials with DEQ said Hurricane Katrina related debris could be removed from the entire region in about six to seven months. Without it, debris removal could take up to a year and half, but Father Nguyen said cleanup should not come at their expense.
The results from the air and water samples are due in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, Ngyuen said he plans on lobbying City Hall until a landfill sample is in hand.
The city’s head of sanitation issued this statement in response:
"While awaiting the results of the test, the city of New Orleans will continue to have open dialogue with federal and state agencies and residents of New Orleans East on the various issues regarding this matter."
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