Unless we immediately stop the unplanned pumping of billions of gallons of polluted floodwaters now festering in New Orleans into surrounding waters, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, although first and foremost a human tragedy, could rapidly morph into an even broader environmental and public health disaster.
This is a crucial moment for the environment in and around the New Orleans. With the vast amounts of water stagnant in the city, stewing with sewage, garbage, industrial chemicals, and human and animal remains in the summer heat, there is no doubt the water is a public health threat, if not an outright environmental hazard. So, why then are we so quick to simply pump the water out of the city into the surrounding natural waters of Lake Pontchartrain and the canals, rivers and Gulf that surround the city?
Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency is now assessing the extent of this contamination, and results should be available later this week. We must wait for this essential information so we can make informed decisions about whether releasing the polluted waters into our environment is a smart idea, and if not, plan now for what to do if the waters are extremely hazardous.
We must make such careful determinations because the potential environmental hazard caused by unwise handling of the flood waters could last long after the water is gone from the city.
The potential health effects range from immediate concern over human-water contact to the long-term ecological impacts on fish, wetlands and possibly the entire Gulf ecosystem.
We have several options. The simplest approach would be to continue to let the waters settle and pump off the top layer to help minimize spreading of pollution. Then, the remaining sludge could be properly disposed of as hazardous waste -- essential because this sludge will contain concentrated pollutants. It's tempting and seemingly compassionate to advocate pumping out the water as quickly as possible to enable people who have suffered terribly to return to their homes. Yet rapid pumping does not necessarily speed up repopulation. Even if the floodwaters were pumped out immediately, the area would still be covered with a toxic mud that must be carefully removed, and the city's water treatment facilities must be renovated, flushed and sanitized before the area will be safe for habitation.
Another option would be to repair the city's wastewater treatment plants and pump the polluted water through that system to remove solids and organic matter. Then, the water could be disinfected before discharging it to the environment. If logistically and hydraulically possible, this would provide the greatest measure of protection to the ecosystem.
True, rebuilding the city's water and wastewater infrastructure -- an essential aspect of repopulating and rebuilding, post-Katrina -- will be enormously complex.
But renovation of wastewater treatment facilities should be the first priority as officials plan a clean-up effort. Water from the streets of New Orleans must be treated to minimize the pollution load to the water environment.
These wastewater treatment facilities will also help mitigate second-wave environmental problems resulting from future rains washing storm water over the polluted streets and carrying this pollution into the natural environment with little or no treatment due to vanishing wetlands and missing natural pollution buffers. Why place a massive burden on the restorative capacity of nature, which will take years, if not decades to recover, when we have the technology and engineering tools to do something now and potentially avert further major environmental damage?
In the aftermath of this tragedy, let us be sure to make informed decisions and plan for a viable future. The city will be rebuilt, and in the renovations we need to take the opportunities to improve on and safeguard the water infrastructure, which as we know now is the city's heart and soul.