Ga Tech Professors, Students Gauge Debris Cleanup in Haiti

By Jim Burress

Atlanta, GA – The team found most Haitians using little more than their own hands to remove decimated homes and buildings. Ozlem Ergun, an associate professor of engineering at Georgia Tech, says although essential, debris cleanup is an afterthought.

"Although there are some clusters and leadership in other areas lets say water, food, sanitation, camp management there is no cluster or grouping around the debris operations," she said.

Of the debris that is collected, Ergun says often it's disposed of improperly.

"I have seen a site where things are getting dumped into the sea. The sea color is brown, it's just completely changed."

Ergun says her team is now compiling their findings in an effort to lobby governments around the world to offer Haitians more help and resources .

Jim Burress, WABE News