BY VIC HUMMERT Oct 29, 2017 - 6:00 pm
Thanks to Ben Myers and The Advocate for continuing honest discussion of the Interstate 49 connector through Lafayette.
Highly respected New Iberia scientist Wilma Subra and Sierra Club leader Harold Schoeffler spoke in St. Genevieve Catholic parish 10 years ago about I-49 knifing through Lafayette dangerously close to toxic waste sites, in particular the Union Pacific rail yard. Several dozen left the meeting convinced that such a proposal would be detrimental to the health of all in south Louisiana who depend upon water purity of the Chicot aquifer.
Resistance to the connector has gained momentum in recent years as numerous cities in the US and abroad have been removing elevated highways.
Graduates of the Tulane Environmental Law school have prepared a lawsuit to stop I-49 forever. Wilma Subra summarizes the topic for all who appreciate clean water: “I-49 will not go forward until all of that toxic waste is cleaned up and removed!”
Would cost of removal equal or exceed the total cost of I-49 itself? Is there any way a contaminated aquifer can be cleaned up?
Vic Hummert
retired chaplain
Lafayette
Refuse the money, if it isnt good for the city you dont want to be forced to maintain a monstrosity you cant afford and hurts the community. More cities need to learn to do that.