Waste Site Threatening Vietnamese in New Orleans

8/2//06

New Orleans East is home to the largest Vietnamese community in New Orleans. Despite being overlooked on the aftermath of the disaster, they were one of the first communities to return and resettle in the city.

However shortly after their resettlement, the city planned to create a new landfill Chef Menteur, only one mile away. This landfill would hold the debris, much of which was toxic construction materials such as asbestos, uncontained electronic components, and contaminants from the Katrina cleanup. Community residences feared that if groundwater seeped in or if faced with another flood, contaminated water would leak into the surrounding canals that flow into and around New Orleans East.

Many believe the city insists on dumping near New Orleans East because they want to save money. The contracted dumping company, Waste Management Inc., had promised a 20% kick back to the city of any hauling fees paid to WMI by FEMA.

Despite much controversy and opposition from surrounding communities, city officials still decided to follow through with the landfill plans, their reason being that the urgency of the situation would not allow for a period of public comments from the community.

On April 27, a federal judge had rejected a motion for a temporary restraining order for the dump. Although shocked by this decision, environmental and community groups continued to mobilize and rally against the construction of the dumpsite so close to home. Finally on July 13, the mayor issued of New Orleans issued a statement that he would not renew the executive order that allowed the dump to open. It will be officially closed on August 14 in a resounding victory for this immigrant Vietnamese community.