Radioactive material possibly consisting of Radium-226, which has a half-life of 1600 years, found buried at or near the site of a former chemical plant in Gert Town has prompted residents of the neighborhood to file a lawsuit against the City of New Orleans.
The radioactive-contaminated material was removed last week from area on Lowerline Street near Coolidge Court, which from 1941-to-1986 was the site of the Thompson-Hayward Chemical Company. Thompson-Hayward, now known as Harcros, mixed chemical herbicides and pesticides. After Harcros closed the facility in 1986 it paid a $51-6 million settlement to residents of the neighborhood.
The discovery of Radium has taken people by surprise, as it's not used in the making of pesticides or other chemicals. According to the Advocate, plaintiffs in the suit say the radioactive material was found initially in 2013--being detected during a security sweep ahead of the Super Bowl.
The plaintiffs charge the city knew about the contamination and did nothing, exposing residents to the dangers of the material. They say the city should've relocated residents and then removed the material. The Advocate story states the Plaintiffs and their lawyer have been unable to get needed details about the radioactive material, including the levels of radiation emitted.
One of the plaintiffs who grew up just two blocks from the site, was diagnosed with leukeimia more than 40-years ago. Erick Lassair says he knows of two other people who had cancer and lived in close proximity to the former chemical warehouse.