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SUBRA COMPANY                               P. O. BOX 9813                               NEW IBERIA, LA 70562                               337 367 2216                               subracom@aol.com SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF HURRICANE KATRINA TRANSPORTED SEDIMENT DEPOSITS - RESIDUES LOCATED ON THE AGRICULTURE STREET LANDFILL, THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL BREACH AND THE LOWER 9TH WARD To:   Marylee Orr         Louisiana Environmental Action Network         P. O. Box 66323         Baton rouge, LA 70896 From:  Wilma Subra            Subra Company        Date:  February 19, 2006      Nine samples of undisturbed storm surge transported sediments and two water samples were collected by Wilma Subra of Subra Company on December 30, 2005.   The samples were collected from the Agriculture Street Landfill area and the Industrial Canal breach impacted area in the  Lower 9th Ward of Orleans Parish, Louisiana.  The samples were analyzed by  Petroleum Laboratories in Lafayette for the heavy metals Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Mercury and Silver  (US EPA Method 6010 and 7471). Sample Information      The  samples of sediment and water were collected from the following locations on December 30, 2005: Agriculture Street Landfill Area            1  Interstate 10 at the intersection of Louisa and     Almonaster Blvd. - in area of hurricane deposited     standing water remaining under the over pass     1347 hours        Latitude 30o 00.194’ North      Longitude 90o 02.114’ West      Very dark brown to gray sediment residue layer 1/4 to      1/2 inch thick.  Upper side dry and under side moist.                 2  Undeveloped Area of Agriculture Street Landfill  behind     Moton School, area with standing water with rainbow     sheen 1445 hours          Latitude 29o 59.153’ North          Longitude 90o 02.389’ West          Very moist dark brown silty soil with sandy residue          3  Undeveloped Area of Agriculture Street Landfill Behind     Moton School and  Recreation Center, area with standing     water with rainbow sheen   1500 hours     Latitude 29o 59.151’ North     Longitude 90o 02.436’ West     Wet medium brown silty soil      4  Between St. Ferdinand and the Undeveloped Area.     Between the street curb and the fence surrounding the     Undeveloped Area.  Across St. Ferdinand from the gate     to the Senior Citizen Home/Gordon Plaza Apartments.     1535 hours     Latitude 29o 59.527’ North     Longitude 90o 02.492’ West     Moist dark brown sandy soil A   Moton School curb at base of front circular drive,1515      hours      Latitude 29o 59.316’ North      Longitude 90o 02.386’ West      Medium brown slightly moist sandy residue material B   Sediment residue from floor of  living room area of       apartment at 3009  Abundance  across street from      Moton School, 1520 hours      Latitude 29o 59.323’ North      Longitude 90o 02.361’ West      Light tan very dry residue layer in a layer 1/4 inch thick      covering floor and stairs leading to second floor Lower 9th Ward of Orleans Parish in the Area  Impacted by the Breach in the Industrial Canal Levee System C   Along what remained of Surekote Rd. near the breach in      the Industrial Canal Levee in the Lower 9th Ward,      residue layer in the area where the front of a  house      once was located, north of the grounded barge, 1600      hours                Latitude 29o 58.273’ North      Longitude 90o 01.324’ West      Dark Gray Moist layer of residue material 3/8 inches thick       D   In the Lower 9th Ward, approximately half way between      Industrial Canal and Orleans/St. Bernard Parish line one      block in from Florida Ave.,  house number 2417, sample      collected from residue deposited on drive way,1620      hours      Latitude 29o 58.608’ North      Longitude 90o 01.16’ West      Dark gray dry crumbly residue material 1/2 inch thick E   2634 DuBreuil St. in the Lower 9th Ward just before the      Orleans/St. Bernard Parish Line,  Duplex with 2636      DuBreuil St.  Duplex tagged by the City of New Orleans:      UNSAFE. Use or occupancy is prohibited.  This is not a      demolition order.  Rear side wall severely damaged,      partial building collapse possible.  Do not enter.                      11/12/05 3 pm.  Clock Stopped at 6:20.  House     searched on 10/12/05 by responders.  Sample collected     from residue deposited in  yard at 1650 hours     Latitude 29o 58.433’ North     Longitude 90o 00.002’ West     Dry dark gray crumbly residue layer 1/4 inch thick,     residue breaks apart  easily Sample Results Agriculture Street Landfill Area            The heavy metals contained in the sediment/sludge residue  samples and water samples are presented in the attached tables. The Agriculture Street Landfill area was flooded by storm surge flood waters which carried and deposited sediment/sludge material contaminated with heavy metals across the entire area.  The sediment/sludge deposited on the Moton School property contained arsenic, 0.767 mg/kg, in excess of the EPA Region VI Soil Screening Level of 0.39 mg/kg.   The Moton School sediment/sludge also contained the highest concentrations of lead, 65.3 mg/kg and mercury, 0.0512 mg/kg.  In addition the Moton School sediment/sludge was contained with barium, cadmium and chromium.      The Abundance Street apartment across the street from the Moton School had sediment/sludge contamination  inside the apartment as well as on the lawn.  The sediment/sludge inside the apartment was contaminated with arsenic, 0.725 mg/kg in excess of the EPA Region VI Soil Screening Level of 0.39 mg/kg.  The sediment/sludge in the apartment also contained barium, cadmium, chromium,    lead and mercury.      The Undeveloped area of the Agriculture Street Landfill contained chromium, 22.3 mg/kg, just below the La DEQ RECAP Standard of 23 mg/kg.  The Undeveloped area was also contaminated with barium, cadmium and lead.      Soil collected from the edge of the Undeveloped area along St. Ferdinand contained the second highest level of barium, 113 mg/kg, as well as cadmium, chromium and lead. Lower 9th Ward of Orleans Parish in the Area  Impacted by the Breach in the Industrial Canal Levee System          The area of the Lower 9th Ward adjacent to the Industrial Canal breach contained sediment/sludge contaminated with chromium, 24.2 mg/kg, in excess of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard (23 mg/kg), the highest levels of barium, 186 mg/kg, cadmium, 2.54 mg/kg, and chromium, 24.2 mg/kg of all samples collected.  The sediment/sludge also contained arsenic, 0.215 mg/kg and mercury, 0.022 mg/kg.         The two locations sampled in the path of the breach surge between the Industrial Canal levee and the St. Bernard parish line contained sediment/sludge contaminated with elevated concentrations of barium, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury.  The concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment/sludge  were slightly less that those detected at the breach but were still elevated in concentration.     The heavy metals  contribute to cumulative health impacts when exposure occurs through skin contact and via inhalation and ingestion.  The health impacts associated with contact with the contaminated sediments are skin irritation, infections of the skin that do not respond to normal antibiotic treatment, respiratory distress, asthma, and bronchitis.  Residents  are encouraged to avoid coming in contact with the contaminated sediment material.  If contact is not preventable,  protective clothing, gloves, and respirators should be utilized in order to reduce the risk of health impacts.  Louisiana Environmental Action Network provides Re-entry Protection  Kits that contain the necessary equipment to reduce risk when coming in contact with the contaminated sediments.                          Soil/Sediment Samples                                                         Heavy Metals (mg/kg Dry Wt. Basis) Station  Arsenic  Barium  Cadmium  Chromium   Lead       1            ND       11.8       0.112      1.09        1.14 2            ND       74.9       0.794      7.11        6.78 3            ND       22.8       2.23        22.3        8.23 4            ND       113        1.64        14.1        16.8 A         0.767*    135.9     1.86        12.1        65.3 B         0.725*     58.5       2.2          11.4        36.3 C         0.215      186        2.54        24.2**      35 D         0.186      72.3       1.76        11.9         22.2 E            ND        75           2.11       17.9         17.9 LA DEQ Soil Recap Screening Standards               12        550         3.9          23           400 EPA Region VI Soil Screening Levels               0.39      5,500     39         210           400 ND - None Detected - Arsenic <0.029 mg/kg *Exceeded EPA Screening Level for Arsenic **Exceeded LA DEQ RECAP Standard for Chromium                              Soil/Sediment Samples                                                         Heavy Metals (mg/kg Dry Wt. Basis) Station  Mercury         Silver       1            ND                ND     2            ND                ND      3            ND                ND       4            ND                ND        A         0.0512            ND   B         0.0358            ND      C         0.022              ND        D         0.0463            ND       E          0.0144           ND LA DEQ Soil Recap Screening Standards               2.3                   ND None Detected - Mercury <0.0002 mg/kg                               Silver <0.287 mg/kg                                  Water Samples Station 1 Arsenic        <0.0116 mg/l Barium         0.0914 mg/l Cadmium      <0.0026 mg/l Chromium     <0.017 mg/l Lead            <0.0177 mg/l Mercury       <0.2 ug/l Silver           <0.0149 mg/l Station 2     Arsenic      <0.0116 mg/l Barium        0.0805 mg/l Cadmium    <0.0026 mg/l Chromium   <0.017 mg/l Lead          <0.0177 mg/l Mercury      <0.2 ug/l Silver          <0.0149 mg/l |   HOME  |   News  |   Projects  |   Contact Politicians  |   Join Lean     |