Experiencing the Toxicity of Gordon Plaza -- “We feel enslaved in our own homes"

Join us for a forum and discussion with the New Orleans Residents of Gordon Plaza, a local community group fighting to get relocated from their current homes on top of the former Agriculture Street city municipal landfill in the Ninth Ward. The Agriculture site was formerly listed on the US EPA national priorities list (NPL) and part of the US EPA Superfund Program. The New Orleans Residents of Gordon Plaza are community members living in homes that were initially built through a federally-funded, city sponsored program in the 1970s and 1980s (and adjacent to a large public housing development). Subsequently, their homes, and the adjacent homes and apartments (along with an elementary school) were found to be contaminated with large amounts of toxic pollutants (e.g, dioxins, lead, mercury, arsenic, zinc, etc.). Over the last forty years community members have experienced exceptionally high rates of illness and diseases including cancers, and many residents have died from these illnesses. The current residents are asking with fair compensation for their homes and moving costs so they can relocate to safer neighborhoods.  Please come out and hear their stories, ask questions, and find out how you can help in their fight to get relocation and just compensation for the homes. 

This event is part of the Environmental Studies (EVST) Focus on the Environment (FOTE) 2018-2019 Speaker Series and sponsored by:
Environmental Studies (EVST) Program | School of Liberal Arts | Tulane University and a generous gift from Fred and Charlotte Hubbell