It seems as if more studies should be undertaken to really understand the magnitude of this problem, and try to figure out if there is a solution. It seems as if it would be difficult if not impossible to regenerate ground water for years and years, so what are residents on wells doing, and what is agriculture doing? Are they using contaminated water? Do they even know if it contaminated? These are questions that this arsenic study raises, and they are concerns that would face anyone in the same situation after such a massive natural disaster, so they need to be answered and addressed. Probably the most frightening aspect of the environmental situation in the Gulf Coast is how little people seem to care about it anymore. There was an initial outpouring of public concern and money right after the event, but now, more "important" things like gas prices and the economy have replaced worries about New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It seems as if Americans are fickle, and if the situation does not really impact them somehow, sooner or later it ceases to exist. That is worrisome when it comes to the Gulf Coast region, because if continuing information is true, it looks like the area will not return to "normal" for a long time, if ever. Wetlands, habitats, groundwater, soils, and even landfills were damaged, and it takes a lot of time for an area to recover, even in the best of situations. Landfills take thousands of years to decompose in many cases, so just that aspect of Katrina is going to be around for a very long time. It seems that we do not learn very much from disasters like these, we just go back to "business as usual" and look the other way. "The Earth will heal itself," a lot of people think. However, Katrina shows that is not true. New...

That is frightening to think about, and it makes one wonder how the environment could ever recover if that occurred.
Is it true that people suffered from "Katrina" shock and wanted the area to get back to normal as quickly as possible? The way that New Orleans and the Gulf Coast has stayed relatively off people's minds and out of the news, even though it is common knowledge that rebuilding is not occurring as quickly as possible and that thousands of people are never going to return to the area, seems to point to this. That does not bode well for the environment of the Gulf Coast. The lack of current reports and studies show that for many people, the area has healed itself and there is no need for further worry. That may not be the case. The long-term effects of the chemicals, oil spills, massive landfills, and other environmental aspects of Katrina should be studied for decades to come. Not only can they help the area recover more effectively, they can give scientists and researchers answers about what to expect in massive natural disasters, and how to cope with the environmental aftermath of such disasters. We should not forget Katrina. We should learn from this disaster, and learn how to protect our environment from disasters like this, as well.

References

Editors. "Eighteen-Month Anniversary." EPA.gov. 2006. 23 April 2008. http://www.epa.gov/katrina/18months.html

Editors. "Katrina: The Aftermath." PBS.org. 2006. 23 April 2008. http://www.pbs.org/now/science/katrinaenviro.html

Editors. "Katrina's Wake: Arsenic-Laced Schools and Playgrounds Put New Orleans Children at Risk." NRDC.org. 2007. 23 April 2006. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/wake/contents.asp

Spotts, Peter M. "Environment: A First Battle Against Rising Oceans." Christian Science Monitor. 2006. 23 April 2008. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0831/p01s04-usgn.html