New Orleans Activists Start From Ground Up (officials: "scaremongering")

Los Angeles Times: New Orleans Activists Starting From the Ground Up
A neighborhood project aims to eradicate what it calls contaminated soil. But state and federal officials say it's just 'scaremongering.'
By Ann M. Simmons, Times Staff Writer
March 24, 2006

NEW ORLEANS — Environmentalists, labor union members and community members launched a soil-cleaning initiative Thursday to help rid yards in a New Orleans neighborhood of what they say are unhealthy levels of such substances as arsenic and diesel fuel.

But state and federal government officials strongly disputed that the soil was contaminated, and accused the activists of "scaremongering."

New Orleans East saw major flooding from broken levees after Hurricane Katrina struck Aug. 29.

"The water has receded and created a hazardous waste site across the city," said James Frederick, assistant director for health, safety and environment for the United Steelworkers of America. "The contaminated soil does not make it safe for families to return, children to play, people to grow things in their gardens."

On Thursday, volunteers donned white paper protection suits, gloves and masks, and used front-end loader tractors to remove 2 to 3 inches of sediment, soil, grass and other items deemed to be tainted from yards, streets and sidewalks of a block of Aberdeen Road. The first phase of this pilot program was expected to continue through the weekend....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-pollute24mar24,0,2341225.story?coll=la-home-nation

that's next to Mid-City, over by Xavier University, much closer in than N.O. East. :scared:

I think it was in St. Bernard Parrish?

who said the air at Ground Zero wasn't contaminated?