Seems we should have a little better long term plan for this pumping thing.
Pumping Out the Filthy Water in New Orleans????
The water sitting in and around New Orleans is now filthy, replete with sewage, chemicals, oil, and worse.
Rodney Mallett, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, says there does not appear to be any choice other than to pump the water into Lake Pontchartrain or the Mississippi River. Mallet stated, “No one is happy about it, but for the sake of civilization and lives, probably the best thing to do is pump the water out.”
Hazards to the Environment & People
Not only is there debris floating in and above the flood waters, bacterial contamination has become one of the greatest concerns. Officials are less worried about cholera, but they are very concerned about the E. coli bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, serious illness or even death.
Pumping the contaminated water out, without treatment, will almost assuredly be an environmental disaster. The water laced with gasoline, diesel, anti-freeze, bleach, human and animal waste, acids, alcohols, and other hazardous material will pollute Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
Can we not contain this "ugly" water like an oil spill or something?
Pumping the contaminated water into the surrounding water bodies will trigger all kinds of problems like; algae blooms, fish kills, and poisoning of fragile disappearing wetlands along the Gulf shores. All kinds of death will follow this poisoning.
Fishing caught in this polluted habitat will be dangerous to eat for a long time to come.
The full impact of Katrina and her aftermath on humans, animals and the environment will not be known for a long time, For both people and the environment it is a catastrophe that won't go away for years.
Isn't the pumping creating a bigger problem??
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