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HISTORY A city dump This area in the Upper Ninth Ward Of New Orleans was Swamp y low ground when it began to be used as a dump in 1909 . The landfill became one of the area's main dumps for both residential and industrial waste. It often caught Fire , with flames and smoke visible for a good distance away, and got the local nickname '' Dante's Inferno ''. The dump was first closed in 1952 , but continued as a sanitary landfill site to the end of the decade. It reopened in the aftermath of Hurricane Betsy , and much debris from that storm was deposited on site. It was officially reclosed in 1966 , although reports indicate that dumping continued for another year. The landfill site was then covered with Ash from city incinerators and compacted by Bulldozer s. Redevelopment Starting in 1976 , the old dump site was covered with sand and soil then redeveloped as a residential neighborhood, with housings, Morton Elementary School , and small businesses built and occupied over the site. Some three residential developments were built over the old landfill area. Problems Complaints of health problems by area residents first prompted Environmental Protection Agency investigations in 1986 . The area was initially judged not worthy of federal remedy. However residents continued finding old trash just below the surface when trying to plant gardens or erect fences, and anecdotal evidence of health problems including abnormally high rates of Cancer became common. People in the area petitioned for retesting in 1993 , and the site was placed on the National Priorities List as a cleanup site the following year. Investigations showed that the actual amount of soil placed over the landfill before redevelopment was much thinner than had been claimed. Remedial work EPA supervised cleanup included closing Morton Elementary, and on residential land removing two feet of soil, putting down a plastic barrier, then topping it with two feet of new clean soil. In April 2001 it was announced to be 99% complete. Many area homeowners and residents have petitioned for being moved elsewhere, with the backing of Congressman Bill Jefferson , but they have not succeeded in getting funds provided. And then came Katrina Flooding in the aftermath of ), with storm surge funneled by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal flooding into this neighborhood in 2005. There are concerns that the flooding may have released additional toxins in the area. EXTERNAL LINKS
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