When The National Oil Spill Commission’s Final Report was released last month, Commission Co-Chair William Reilly summarized the findings, saying: Our investigation shows that a series of specific and preventable human and engineering failures were the immediate causes of the Deepwater Horizon fire. But, in fact, this disaster was almost the inevitable result of years of […]
Category: Environment
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Investigations
Toxic acid poses an unnecessary health risk to more than a million in the Greater New Orleans region
Despite the availability of a safer alternative, three New Orleans area refineries continue to rely on a lethal compound, as do two others in Louisiana.
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics, Land Use
Rock 'n Bowl seeks tear-down permits
By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | To paraphrase the golden oldie: “Rock ‘n Bowl is Here to Stay” – the trendy bowling alley and live music venue, that is. Not only has Rock ‘n Bowl survived its 2009 move to the corner of Carrollton and Earhart, it seems to be taking over the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Land Use
Despite 8 deaths in abandoned warehouse, city has done little new to fight vagrancy
By Ariella Cohen, The Lens staff writer | Six weeks after eight young people were killed by a fire in the fallow 9th Ward warehouse where they were living, the city has not taken new substantive action to reduce vagrancy or shut down unsafe squats. “We just don’t have the manpower,” the city’s newly appointed […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
It’s "The Jungle" out there, but we can feast on fresh local food
In ninth grade, I asked my classmate Ted why he didn’t eat hot dogs. He claimed he had worked in a hot dog factory the previous summer. “So?” I asked. Imagine being shirtless in a stinking hot warehouse, Ted said. You’re knee-deep in strange meat, and have to pitch it into a vat with a […]
Posted inEnvironment
Op-Ed: Why public transit matters
We all say we need more retail and business development in New Orleans, but one particular city requirement actually makes it more expensive for developers – and more expensive for all of us.
Posted inEnvironment
Council wants city to get rid of remaining FEMA trailers
More than five years after Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of New Orleanians to take up temporary residence in FEMA trailers, City Council members say it’s time for Mayor Mitch Landrieu to enforce pre-Katrina laws barring mobile homes and remove the last remaining trailers from the city. “People don’t like having these trailers right next to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Time to strike while the Bullock and wetlands are hot
In addition to The Times-Picayune’s story on FEMA’s massive lump sum compensation to battered New Orleans Schools, Bayou Buzz shared this good news: New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will join Oscar-winning actress, Sandra Bullock, to announce the opening of the Warren Easton High School health clinic on Sunday, August 29. … The Warren Easton school-based health […]
Posted inEnvironment, Land Use
City posts contracts for Joe Brown, riverfront park work
Less than a week after announcing his administration’s plans for more than 100 projects, Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Monday signed a contract for another recreation effort. The $1.7 million contract to renovate the Joe Brown Park was posted to the city’s website today. Also posted was the $23 million contract for a new riverfront park […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
The nation’s sacrifice zone, part II
The New York Times article I referred to in my previous post did more than contrast the crisis of wetlands loss to the oil disaster. It also discussed the longtime degradation of the Gulf Coast, and touched on several “radioactive” issues: According to data from the Minerals Management Service compiled and analyzed by Toxics Targeting, a […]