Environmentalists Say Green Opportunity is Wasted In New Orleans

Date: April 13, 2006

Source: Associated Press

Environmental groups have complained to the Associated Press that the rush to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina comes at the expense of recycling and the environment. Officials lament that there has been little time to put in place and infrastructure to deal with an estimated 22 million tons of debris caused by Katrina, a figure that includes 8.5 million tons of green waste alone. Instead much of the potentially recyclable material is going to the Old Gentilly Landfill, a municipal dump in the swampiest part of New Orleans. According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (www.deq.louisiana.gov), some items are being successfully diverted including 280,000 tons of white goods including refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances.

As landfills grow higher, environmentalists worry that Louisiana is creating new problems for itself.

"We're creating a massive environmental liability for the future," said Forest Bradley-Wright of the Alliance for Affordable Energy (www.all4energy.org) in New Orleans.

Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin