Controversial Dump Closes

 

The landfill was opened to accept debris from Katrina, which created an estimated 22 million tons of trash. By comparison, the state's largest landfill handled only 1 million tons of debris in an average year.

Mayor Ray Nagin ordered waste haulers to stop depositing debris in a controversial landfill opened after Hurricane Katrina, a move state regulators said could delay the battered city’s cleanup by more than a year. City officials said the emergency authorization allowing the landfill to accept waste was about to expire and the company had not applied for a new permit. The landfill run by Waste Management Inc. opened under emergency procedures last year, circumventing normal zoning rules and other regulations. If it is closed, trash trucks will probably be sent to a dump 20 miles (30 kilometers) away in adjoining Jefferson Parish, forcing them to cross the Mississippi River and possibly causing backups. At least 30,000 homes in the region have been tagged for demolition. Environmentalists and neighbors have opposed the facility in eastern New Orleans, saying it could contaminate ground water and the nearby Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. Environmental regulators insist the facility is safe and handles only non-hazardous material. Waste Management officials asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction to block the mayor’s order. The company said developing an alternative landfill would take at least a year, hamper the city’s recovery and could increase illegal dumping by private haulers. Significant amounts of debris on city streets are still piled high with heaps of drywall, pipes and other refuse.
Source: Associated Press