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Wilma A. Subra is nationally recognized for her environmental justice work on behalf of poor residents living along the Mississippi River, including being named a McArthur Foundation Fellow in 1999. She is a chemist with Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), a Mott grantee. During a visit to the Foundation’s Flint office, she talked with Communications Officer Maggie I. Jaruzel about the environmental impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One year later, Subra looks back at the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast in August and September 2005.

Mott: What are some of the major environmental issues created by these hurricanes that still need to be addressed one year later?

Wilma Subra (WS): The major one is this sediment/sludge layer.

Wilma A. Subra

The sediment in the rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries was transported onto the land by the tidal surge. This is going to have long lasting impact because it is contaminated with heavy metals and has a huge amount of bacteria, mold and viruses. It is a layer on the surface of the land.

There is a real need to address this issue of sludge, remove it, and properly dispose of it because over time it will be incorporated into the surface soil and then go into the surface drain. It is in the houses and other buildings and people are being exposed to it and getting sick.

When you compare the sediment/sludge problem to all the other dangers—huge amounts of petroleum products and petroleum-related products that came from pipeline breaches and from storage tanks—the sediment/sludge is still the most extensive because it is in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. It’s everywhere.

Louisiana is very flat so this stuff doesn’t run off. It stays. It’s on the playgrounds. They need to clean up the sludge outside before a janitorial crew cleans the school’s floors in preparation for the students’ return. It’s my task to be sure that this information [about decontamination] is available so when students do return to school and go out to the playground, it is safe for them.

A large number of schools are still not open. They are severely damaged, but the repair and rebuilding process has not yet started. These schools are located in New Orleans, Plaquemine and St. Bernard parishes.

Mott: For you personally, has there been a single incident—a conversation or a snapshot in your mind—that captures what you remember most about hurricanes Katrina and Rita?

WS: I remember the enormity of it, such as driving through New Orleans in the very early days when the whole city was empty. There was a quietness that was deafening. The early trips to Alabama and Mississippi allowed you to see the enormity of the devastation.

I went down to Pearlington, which is on the Louisiana/Mississippi border and where the eye made its second landfall. It was a very treed area—a lot of oak trees, magnolias and pines. Everything was destroyed and wound up in all these trees, which were twisted and lying down. It was like a massive wall.

“I remember the enormity of it, such as driving through New Orleans in the very early days when the whole city was empty. There was a quietness that was deafening.”

In other areas, the tidal surge had come ashore and wiped out everything so you could see for miles. Not here. Here, it was just a tangled mess. When you thought you had seen it all, then you saw this and it just ripped your heart out.

Mott: You have had quite an illustrious career of taking on landfill operators, big businesses, legislators, and the list goes on and on—but this last opponent was Mother Nature. How was this challenge similar to, or different from, all of your other opponents?

WS: This one was in our face. It was up close and personal. In a way, this was very different from my regular work because we were all on the same side. We were fighting for survival. The local industry was calling, the elected officials were calling, all the stakeholders were calling—everyone was seeking information and directions on where to go. All of the sudden, the other side was your best friend. They needed the information that I was developing by going out in the fields and doing these assessments and taking samples.

Mott: Some people who were not directly affected say, “Our country has spent an entire year and an enormous amount of money focusing on this natural disaster. It’s now time to move on to other pressing national problems.” How do you respond?

WS: Some people will say “enough.” The media will say, “Our readers don’t want to hear or see any more of this.” But when university or church groups come down to do direct relief work, we take them on a tour first so they understand the extent of the destruction and the impact on the people.

That way, they can take the message back to their universities and their hometowns—and whoever will listen—about what they have experienced firsthand. They can make a big impact because they are spread over the entire country. We still desperately need volunteers.

Mott: What has been the biggest disappointment about the way this natural disaster has been addressed, and what has been the biggest surprise or the most encouraging aspect of it?

WS: The biggest disappointment has been the slow rate of recovery and also the short memories of people. Once people return and get on with their lives, they tend to forget that there is still a large portion of the population that is suffering. There is still a great need for assistance. Those that have recovered need to continue their efforts to help the less fortunate.

My biggest surprise was the huge impact the hurricanes have had on other communities that were not directly impacted by them. They have grown in population due to relocation of people displaced by the hurricanes. The total well being of these communities has been disrupted and they are now having difficulties dealing with a broad range of issues.

The most encouraging aspect of the hurricanes has been to see the strength and resilience of the communities. There has been a real determination by residents to come home, and to rebuild and restore their lives, their churches, and their communities.

Mott: What is it about this southern region that grabs the heart of its residents so powerfully that despite all the risks and costs, they want to return home?

WS: These are coastal areas and they have had many hurricanes. Culturally, a lot of these people live on the coast—they hunt, trap, and fish. They have lived there for generations and they know the dangers.

They know they might not be able to keep this house for 10 years, or maybe they might keep it for 50 years until the land erodes from under them. This is where they live, and this is where they come back to. They compare this hurricane to the last one and they can tell you all the damage they have ever had.

Saying to them, “You have to move further inland because you should not live on the coast” takes away their ability to continue their culture.

Additional Resource

• Read more about how Mott grantees provided support to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
• Wilma Subra discusses the environmental impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita at a Princeton Theological Seminary presentation in March 2006.
• Read a Q&A with Mary Lee Orr, LEAN’s executive director.
• Review a LEAN pamphlet addressing the dangers of returning to previously-flooded structures.