After Hurricane Ike, Receding Floodwaters Leave Toxic Mix

Hurricane Ike may be long gone from Galveston, Texas, but for the residents who live there, the storm’s effects are far from over. One of the worst side effects of hurricanes is the toxic sludge left behind as floodwaters recede.  The mix is full of human waste, asbestos, lead, gasoline, bacteria and other substances and organisms that pose serious health and environmental risks.  Mosquitoes breed in the stagnant water, and as the water dries the sludge turns to dust that can cause respiratory issues.

The New York Times reported some of the issues Galveston and other areas affected by Hurricane Ike are currently facing:

Homes must be inspected for structural damage and for leaks before natural gas service can be restored.  And before debris can be hauled away, hazardous material has to be separated from what can be sent to recycling centers, burned or chipped into mulch.

“At 60,000-feet altitude, the damage just looks like a lot of debris,” said Steve LeBlanc, the city manager. “Just clean it up. Flip a switch. And we can be back online. It’s a whole lot more complicated than that.”

Total damages to the island are estimated to be more than $10 billion, city officials said.

Officials said that they did not expect electricity and natural gas to be restored on the entire island for at least a month and that it might take more than a year to remove all the debris. Water should be running within the next couple of weeks, they said.

A hurricane and its aftermath is, of course, an environmental disaster.  Animals are killed and displaced and plants are ripped from the ground.  Debris from ruined structures ends up in landfills.  Large swaths of land are sprayed with pesticide to kill mosquito larvae, and toxic substances in the floodwater make their way into the drinking water supply.  The desire to get things back in order as quickly as possible can lead to the improper disposal of toxic chemicals.

The Environmental Protection Agency will be taking samples of the sludge and floodwaters this week, and testing them for contaminants.  The EPA generally sends out HazMat teams to areas affected by flooding to properly clean up toxic waste.  It’s scary to think of what might be lurking in that water, and whether the methods the EPA uses are actually good enough.  Seems like residents would be better off waiting a while before returning to their homes.

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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