Lake Pontchartrain Not as Polluted as Feared

A study of the water, sediment, and seafood quality of Lake Pontchartrain by several U.S. government agencies has found that conditions in and around the lake are within limits acceptable for recreational waters. The collaborative study was conducted following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pockets of high contamination or "hot spots" were found in sites around the lake; however, the concentrations decreased over a period of three to four weeks after the hurricanes. Areal photographs and other environmental data reports from the areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma can be found on the USGS website.