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Sierra Club Lawsuits

Cleaning Up After Katrina - the Right Way

Case Updates:

August 23, 2006

It has been one year since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, and much of the debris and waste from this unprecedented storm still remain. The high volume of waste left by the storm, which includes dangerous toxic substances, must be cleaned up before reconstruction can begin. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has chosen a reckless and irresponsible way of dealing with this problem, disposing of dangerous waste in unlined landfills in wetland areas and close to communities struggling to rebuild. This method of disposal endangers the health of New Orleans citizens in addition to jeopardizing the viability of their future water supply. On August 10, 2006 the Sierra Club, in partnership with Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) and the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, filed a suit against the State of Louisiana, challenging the state to take advantage of this opportunity to create recycling programs and dispose of dangerous waste in a safe manner that will not come back to haunt the city.

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