New Orleans' Residents Face Toxic Hazards

"Environmental advocates charged Thursday that government regulators were failing to warn the public about contaminants, including heavy metals and banned pesticides, left behind in the soil by Hurricane Katrina's flood. Some of the most contaminated sites, the Natural Resources Defense Council said after reviewing government tests and conducting their own, are in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, which was opened to the public for the first time Thursday so residents could try to salvage their belongings.

"But Gina Solomon, who led the research team, said residents could become ill by inhaling or touching contaminated sediment. Long-term risks could include cancer, neurological disease and reproductive-system ailments, she said...The Natural Resources Defense Council said its tests revealed traces — and high levels, in some cases — of a slew of toxins, including arsenic, lead, banned pesticides and mercury.

"'This isn't an isolated problem,' Solomon said. 'It spans the entire city, every area where the floodwaters touched...'"