In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we find the mighty Lake Ponchartrain full of unnecessary crud and pollution. This is unfortunate indeed as the lake is a place for boaters, fishing and a fun lifestyle. The waters pumped back into the lake were polluted with e.Coli bacteria, chemicals and debris, which is going to be tough on the lakes eco-system. Lake Ponchartrain was making a strong comeback in the years prior to Hurricane Katrina, as nature always does find a way to clean itself and renew. The environment is proving to be quite resilient indeed. The residents surrounding the lake want to enjoy it, as it is a place for boaters, fishing and fun. It is a shame to see it in such disrepair after we pumped out the sludge, sewage and chemicals. I would therefore like to propose that we coat the bridge over pass support structures with a special coating which will clean the lake as slow tide brushes up against it. Attracting the floating chemicals now present and then through bio-remediation rapidly break down those chemicals. We have modern coatings and environmental dispensers, which can do this. Additionally I propose that we use Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (AUVs) to clean some of the underwater and bottom areas of the lake by delivering encapsulated timed release bio-remediation materials; we may find that we can clean the large volume of water very quickly. We would have to set up the AUVs in an underwater grid pattern and they could run on Solar Power and Electricity or Hydrogen Cell Hybrid Systems. I further propose that the support structures of the bride contain spongy bio remediation pellets, which will be released each day when the streetlights on the bridge turn off. These pellets would be made of spongy material, which would not hurt the boat hulls of vessels, which might bump into them as they float. The spongy material would also be made very distasteful to birds, fish, sea life and wildlife; yet would clean the Lake. Timed released biological and environmental remediation is nothing new, many environmental engineers use this to help reduce large algae blooms which threaten drinking water supplies, affect water quality or are a danger to sea life. By using what is already there, we can stay ahead of the curve on pollution issues, which will harm humans and wildlife and restore the lake to normal ASAP. Think on this. |
