La Katrina tóxica (la otra catástrofe)

Más allá de la información sobre las plataformas petroleras destruidas por la tormenta, existen muy pocos datos acerca del estado de los pozos de petróleo y los ductos existentes.

A esta contaminación proveniente de los pozos petroleros se suma una cantidad aún desconocida de contaminantes tóxicos liberados al ambiente por las plantas químicas inundadas o afectadas por el huracán. De hecho, la región de Nueva Orleáns y sus alrededores se conoce como el "callejón del cáncer", por concentrar parte importante de la industria química más contaminante de los Estados Unidos.

Greenpeace tiene registro de más de 350 instalaciones de la industria del petróleo, plantas químicas y depósitos de desechos peligrosos en la zona afectada por el huracán Katrina.

Desde el 30 de agosto, Greenpeace, a través del Acta de Libertad de Información, solicitó a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos toda la información existente sobre estas instalaciones, sobre la cantidad y tipo de sustancias que almacenaban, y sobre sus planes de contingencia.

Greenpeace ha venido trabajando en la región, presionando a la industria para que cambie sus procesos y materias primas a formas de producción más limpia que, en este caso, hubieran significado un impacto mucho menor al medio ambiente y a la salud de la población local, beneficios que también serían tangibles en el funcionamiento cotidiano de estas empresas.

350 fuentes tóxicas

Estas son las empresas instaladas en la región azotada por el huracán Katrina (varias empresas contaban con más de una planta en la zona) y da una idea de la gran variedad de sustancias que han sido liberadas al entorno.

ACORDIS CELLULOSIC FIBERS INC.
AKZO NOBEL FUNCTIONAL CHEMICALS
AMVAC CHEMICAL CO
Arkema Inc. - Mobile Facility
ATOFINA CHEMICALS INC
DUPONT-MOBILE SITE
IPSCO STEEL (ALABAMA) INC
LeMoyne Site
BALDWIN POLE & PILING CO INC
CITATION ALUMINUM L.L.C.
CROMPTON MANUFACTURING CO INC
PLASMINE TECHNOLOGY INC
Barry Combined Cycle Electric Generating Facility
IB NITROGEN INC
SOUTHERN CO BARRY STEAM PLANT
SYNGENTA CROP PROTECTION, INC.
US AMINES LLC BUCKS PLANT
TRIGEANT EP, LTD. CHICKASAW REFINERY
UOP LLC MOBILE PLANT
Chunchula Gas Plant
GULF COAST GALVANIZING INC
INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO
Mobile Bay Gas Plant
Williams Mobile Bay Gas Plant
Yellowhammer Plant
Hatters Pond Gas Plant
RENTOKIL INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
SUTTLES TRUCK LEASING LLC
KITCHEN & BATH CENTER
DELPHI PACKARD ELECTRIC SYSTEM
PEAVY ELECTRONICS CORP PLANT 20
ROHR INC DBA GOODRICH
SAFETY COATINGS INC
VULCAN, INC.
Agriliance - AFC LLC - Union Church
GREAT SOUTHERN WOOD PRESERVING INC
GULF COAST PAINT MANUFACTURING INC
ALABAMA BULK TERMINAL CO A CORP
ALABAMA SHIPYARD INC
ALL PLASTICS & FIBERGLASS INC.
ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES
ASHLAND DISTRIBUTION CO
ATLANTIC MARINE INC
Atlas Cold Storage
BENDER SHIPBUILDING & REPAIR CO INC
CHEVRON
Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Facility
CYTEC INDUSTRIES INC.
DPC ENTERPRISES
E. Morgan Stickney Water Treatment Facility
EAGLE CHEMICAL CO INC
GULF LUMBER CO
Harcros Chemicals Inc. - Mobile
Harry E Meyers Water Filtration Facility
HPP MOBILE
Industrial Chemicals Inc.
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP
MASONITE MOBILE PLANT
MIDSTREAM FUEL SERVICE INC BLAKELEY ISLAND
MOBILE AEROSPACE ENGINEERING INC
MOBILE ENERGY SERVICES LLC
MOBILE PAPERBOARD CORP
Mobile Refrigerated Services
MOBILE ROSIN OIL CO INC
Mobile Solvent & Supply, Inc.
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORP
RUBBER & PLASTIC APPLICATORS INC
Shell Chemical LP (Mobile Site)
TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS
TRIGEANT EP LTD MOBILE TERMINAL
U.S. COAST GUARD GROUP MOBILE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA MAIN CAMPUS
Wright Smith, Jr. Wastewater Treatment Facility
Orange Beach Water Treatment Plant
BITTNER INDUSTRIES INC
Carlos A Morris WWTP
Stanley Brooks WWTP
Robertsdale, AL 142
SHELL CHEMICAL LP (MOBILE SITE)
EVERWOOD TREATMENT CO
BREDERO SHAW LLC
DEGUSSA CORP
HOLCIM (US) INC THEODORE AL PLANT
INDUSTRIAL LININGS INC
INEOS PHENOL
KERR-MCGEE CHEMICAL LTD LIABILITY CORP
MIDSTREAM FUEL SERVICE INC THEODORE
MITSUBISHI POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON AMERICAN CORP
MOBILE PAINT MANUFACTURING
Praxair - Theodore, AL
TAYLOR-WHARTON/HARSCO
Theodore Cogeneration Plant
SAFETY-KLEEN SYSTEMS, INC.
BOASSO AMERICA CORPORATION
NAN YA PLASTICS CORP AMERICA
CHEVRON ORONITE CO LLC
CMP COATINGS INC.
CONOCOPHILLIPS CO - ALLIANCE REFINERY
CRESCENT ANALYTICAL LABORATORY, INC.
HOBSON GALVANIZING INC.
JOTUN PAINTS INC.
KENCOIL INC
NAVAL AIR STATION, JOINT RESERVE BASE
POINT EIGHT POWER
TULANE UNIVERSITY HEBERT CENTER
BARRIERE CONSTRUCTION BOUTTE PLANT 625
AMAX METALS RECOVERY INC
STOLTHAVEN NEW ORLEANS, LLC.
BOASSO AMERICA CORPORATION
CHALMETTE REFINING LLC
Gulf Liquids Chalmette Gas Plant
St. Bernard Parish Water Treatment Plant
BUNGE NORTH AMERICA INC
Edgard Potable Water Plant
DAYBROOK FISHERIES INC.
BIG RIVER INDUSTRIES - GRAVELITE
DYNAMIC INDUSTRIES FOURCHON
MARATHON ASHLAND PETROLEUM LLC
NALCO COMPANY
ONDEO NALCO CO
PINNACLE POLYMERS CO
STOCKHAUSEN LOUISIANA LLC
CHEVRON USA LEEVILLE
SHELL OFFSHORE INC. - FOURCHON TERMINAL
NEXEN CHEMICALS, USA
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORP
PRAXAIR DISTRIBUTION INC
T. T. BARGE SERVICE MILE 125, INC.
UNION CARBON CORP TAFT/STAR MANUFACTURING PLANT
CROMPTON CORP POLYMER ADDITIVES DIV
ENTERGY WATERFORD 1-3 COMPLEX
BAYOU STEEL CORP
DUPONT PONTCHARTRAIN WORKS
BAYOU STEEL CORPORATION
DUPONT DOW ELASTOMERS PONTCHARTRAIN SITE
River Road Treatment Plant
SAYBOLT LP DELTA ANALYTICAL CENTER
Woodland Treatment Plant
BOLLINGER LAROSE LLC
Larose Gas Processing Plant
NORTH AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING
TETLP - LAROSE
BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS LOCKPORT LLC
Lafourche Parish Water District No. 1- South Plant
VALENTINE PAPER INC
Luling Oxidation Pond
MONSANTO COMPANY
Monsanto Company Luling Plant
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORP LULING
RHODIA, INC.
St. Charles Parish Waterworks District 2
Diversified Foods & Seasonings, Inc.
TRINITY MARINE PRODUCTS INC
MARBLE QUARRY INC
Munster Wastewater Treatment Plant
MURPHY OIL USA INC MERAUX REFINERY
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC (NEW ORLEANS LA FACILITY)
Air Products, New Orleans H2/NH3/Cl2
Algiers Water Purification Plant
Alvar Street Facility
BOLLINGER GULF REPAIR LLC
Brown's Dairy
Carrollton Water Purification Plant
East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant
Equitable Shipyard LLC
GE II NEW ORLEANS SVC CNTR
GULF WIRE CORP
LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
LSU MEDICAL SCHOOL
M/S CONQUEST
M/S INSPIRATION
MEDICAL CENTER OF LA AT NEW ORLEANS
NASA MICHOUD ASSEMBLY FACILITY
New Orleans Cold Storage
SPECTRUM CONTROL TECHNOLOGY INC
STRIP EASE OF NEW ORLEANS, INC.
TRINITY YACHTS, INC.
TULANE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL
U.S. MARINE INC.
U.S. NAVY NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE NEW ORLEANS
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS
US GYPSUM CO
US NASA / LOCKHEED MARTIN
Westbank Sewage Treatment Plant
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Big Cajun 2 Power Plant
New Roads Wastewater Treatment Plant
St. Charles Parish Waterworks District 1
VALERO REFINING NEW ORLEANS LLC
AIR LIQUIDE AMERICA CORP
CYPRESS CATALYST PLANT, UCC
CYPRESS POLYPROPYLENE PLANT, UCC
MOTIVA ENTERPRISES LLC - NORCO REFINERY
Norco Chemical Plant - East Site
Norco Chemical Plant - West Site
Norco Fractionation Plant
RESOLUTION PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS LLC
SHELL NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT - EAST SIDE
SHELL NORCO CHEMICAL PLANT - WEST SIDE
St. Charles Operations Cypress Catalyst Plant
St. Charles Operations Cypress Polypropylene Plant
UNION CARBIDE CORP CYPRESS CATALYST PLANT
UNION CARBIDE CORP CYPRESS POLYPROPYLENE PLANT
VALERO ST. CHARLES REFINERY
BRIDGELINE GAS DISTRIBUTION, LLC PARADIS
Paradis Gas Processing Plant
POLYCHEMIE (PEARL RIVER PLANT)
MI C-PORT 1
MI PORT FOURCHON SHOREBASE FACILITY
DATA CHEM INC.
DPC ENTERPRISES
Lyons Water plant
TOMAH RESERVE INC
Ruddock Water Well
DELTA PETROLEUM CO INC
SHELL CHEMICAL L.P  ST ROSE FACILITY
CAPITOL STEEL-SLIDELL
City of Slidell - Robert Road Water Tower
GULF STATE MARBLE INC
KIK (LOUSIANA) INC
Western Slidell LLC
INTERNATIONAL MATEX TANK TERMINAL
INTERTEK TESTING SERVICES CALEB BRETT
SHELL ST. ROSE REFINERY
Toca Gas Plant
Yscloskey Plant
Norco Chemical Plant - St. Rose Site
Crompton  Taft Plant
Koch Nitrogen Company - Taft Terminal
SHELL TAFT PLANT
UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION TAFT/ STAR COMPLEX
Western International Gas - Taft
Pacific Enterprises SW Lake Boeuf Facility
CAMECO INDUSTRIES - THIBODAUX FACILITY
GAUBERT OIL CO INC
Lafourche Parish Water District No.1 - North Plant
QPL INC
CHEVRON USA VENICE
DYNEGY MIDSTREAM SERVICES LP
MI VENICE III SHOREBASE FACILITY
Venice Complex
TETLP-NEW ROADS
Violet Wastewater Treatment Plant
ALCAN CABLE
GENERAL ELECTRIC PLASTICS
Gulf Coast Fabrications,LLC.
MISSISSIPPI POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES INC
POLYCHEMIE, INC.
VT HALTER MARINE- PORT BIENVILLE OPER
WELLMAN OF MISSISSIPPI INC
GE Plastics - Bay St. Louis
MISSISSIPPI POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
HOOD INDUSTRIES INC
Bay Vista Fire Station Water Well
Bradford Street Water Well
Debuys Road Water Well
ERSHIGS BILOXI INC.
Father Ryan Avenue Water Well
Greater Avenue Water Well
Iberville Drive Water Well
Keegan Bayou Wastewater Treatment Plant
Kuhn Street Water Well
Lakeview Water Well
LIGHTHOUSE MARBLE
Maple Street Water Well
Park Drive Water Well
Pine Street Water Well
Popps Ferry Fire Station Water Well
Porter Avenue Water Well
Tullis Manor Water Well
Vee Street Water Well
WALGREENS #4172
West Biloxi Wastewater Treatment Plant
NGMS-DOL-CIF
U.S. ARMY CAMP SHELBY TRAINING SITE RANGE CONTROL
D'Iberville Wastewater Treatment Plant
Daniel Electric Generating Plant
MISSISSIPPI POWER CO PLANT DANIEL
VT HALTER MARINE- MPM OPER
Gautier Regional WWTP
Channel Chemical Corporation
HARTSON-KENNEDY CABINET TOP CO INC
HYDRO CARBIDE INC
MISSISSIPPI POWER CO PLANT WATSON
NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION CENTER24
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SHIP SYSTEMS, INC.
South Gulfport Wastewater Treatment Plant
STRUTHERS INDUSTRIES INC
TABER METALS GULFPORT L.P
VT HALTER MARINE-GULFPORT OPER
WARING OIL CO
Hattiesburg South Lagoon
Hattiesburg Water Plant #1
Hattiesburg Water Plant #2
HERCULES INC
HPP HATTIESBURG
KOHLER CO
MARSHALL DURBIN PROCESSING PLANT HATTIESBURG MS
PRICE BROTHERS CO HATTIESBURG MS
RESINALL MISSISSIPPI INC
SOUTHERN WOOD PRESERVING OF HA TTIESBURG INC
USA YEAST LLC
YORK INTERNATIONAL
ZEON CHEMICALS LP MISSISSIPPI PLANT
KEESLER AFB, 81 CES/CEV
AMERICAN TANK & VESSEL INC.
HUNT SOUTHLAND REFINING CO LUMBERTON
LOFLAND MISSISSIPPI
GENERAL DYNAMICS ARMANENT SYSTEMS
Amoco Road Water Well Site
AUTOMATIC PROCESSING INC
Bellview Street Water Well Site
Community Street Water Well Site
DESTIN PIPELINE, LLC
Howze  Street  Water Well Site
MORTON INTERNATIONAL A ROHM AND HAAS CO.
MS Highway 613 Water Well
Neese Lane Water Well Site
OMEGA PROTEIN INC
Pascagoula Gas Plant
Payne Street Water Well Site
ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
VT HALTER MARINE-HMP OPER
Sue Ellen Street Water Well Site
GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORP SAWMILL
Leaf River Cellulose, LLC
West Jackson County WWTP
CHEVRON PRODUCTS CO PASCAGOULA REFINERY
CHEVRON PRODUCTS COMPANY
FIRST CHEMICAL CORP
MIDSTREAM FUEL SERVICE INC PASCAGOULA TERMINAL
MISSISSIPPI PHOSPHATES CORP
NAVAL STATION PASCAGOULA
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SHIP SYSTEMS, INC.
Pascagoula / Moss Point WWTP
ROLLS-ROYCE NAVAL MARINE INC
SIGNAL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
VT HALTER MARINE- PASCAGOULA OPER
DU PONT DELISLE PLANT
E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND CO
Long Beach / Pass Christian Treatment Plant
POLYCHEMIE (PORT BIENVILLE PLANT)
Diversified CPC International, Inc
Dufour Petroleum
Enterprise Products Operating L.P. - Petal, MS
EXXONMOBIL OIL CORP HATTIESBURG TERMINAL
Hattiesburg LPG Storage Facility
Hattiesburg Terminal
Suburban Propane _Hattiesburg Ms
ARIZONA CHEMICAL CO PICAYUNE
VALSPAR REFINISH INC
HESS PURVIS TERMINAL
R. D. MORROW SR. GENERATING PLANT
AMERICAN WOOD - DIVISION OF POWE TIMBER
POWE TIMBER CO AMERICAN WOOD DIV
JOHN C. STENNIS SPACE CENTER
NASA JOHN C. STENNIS SPACE CENTER
DESOTO TREATED MATERIALS INC
HOOD INDUSTRIES INC
INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO