Sample soil and have it tested for likely suspects. There could be lots of them, tens of thousands of toxic agents are produced by industry. If a site has a dangerous contaminant left on it that is not discovered and effectively ameliorated then users may be exposed to serious health risk.

... what advisories are posted in your local papers from the EPA and your state ag. extension agency?I might suggest container gardening....

...if I found it necessary to stay there, my approach would be...
1)remove top layer of soil with a bobcat
2) apply (water)permeable layer of weed fabric/ earth burms and sand bags in appropriate places for what it's worth...
3)demand data and analysis; plant uptake studies ...(not from my out of pocket expenses)...

Perhaps the most cost effective effort as I see it, would be the removal of weeds and the placement of weed fabric until the levees are repaired and improvements with infrustructure are implemented..a most incomprehensibly sad situation...

Julie,
I have been pondering your question. Yes, you must have a few random, specialized soil tests done, not by your local extension service people. Rather, do a search for "soil testing labratories', select one and talk with them on the phone. You need very specialized soil testing and it is going to be expensive. In the long run it may be cheaper than the hit-or-miss approach.

Next, you need local experts. Suggest you check the area for any golf courses that may have been flooded. Golf course superintendents, with their knowlege and skills of grass growing may be the most helpful. Find them. They probably are ahead of the curve and have figured out how to handle the problem.

The next experts to contact are the owners of the local firms growing and supplying sod to your area. Their livelyhood depends on knowing how to handle the situation. You, potentially, could be a very important customer. Contact these growers.

I have never found the university types to be of any help in dealing with unusual situations. Perhaps they are working on the problem. You might want to check.

There are no easy answers to your question. Hopefully you will update us on soil test reports, etc. One more thought. Suggest you not use landscape/weed fabrics. That is not the answer.

...but there are too many variables here ...If you have access to heavy equiptment, I would berm and shore-up a particular property noting where it was compromised from flooding. Landcape fabric and integrating some aspects of xeriscaping with the typical designs of the area seems wise to me for a flooded homeowner...
goodluck

Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately, the situation here with many people is simply this...the ones who want to move back to their homes are doing that and not waiting for levees, or anything else. Why wait? Could be another lifetime.

There IS contamination in the soil. A friend of mine who is a researcher at a University tried very hard thru the Internet, local connections, attending meetings (with environmental watchdog organizations)to get the real scoop on what is in the soil. Suffice it to say, that there is bacteria, heavy metals, etc. Exactly how bad? That is what no one is willing to state. I could spend money on expensive soil testing only to find out what I already know.

I like the idea of turning to golf courses and sod companies to see what they have done. But, I don't know if that will help. The golf courses here did not get flooded (or too much). Although, I will try both.

There are thousands upon thousands of dead yards (except for the thriving weeds) that smell. If I stand in an untreated yard for too long, my eyes burn and water!! I am really looking for a low tech, cost effective approach that is as effective as can be under the circumstances.

...what you are describing and not having access to EPA test results are quite disturbing to me...

Check this out, julieann.
Ginger

Here is a link that might be useful: New Orleans Soil Cleaning Information

well thank you ginger, but would ask for tabulations of data and analysis from a variety of reliable labs transferred to current topogaphical maps and would not advocate any grown,edible vegetables whatsoever... the lack of of guidance, data, and analysis from the scientific community is most unacceptable...and what are the advisories posted in the local papers?

The lack of real information from "the people in charge" is truly disturbing. There is no information, no advisories, no guidance. Not just for the contamination, but the levees, the help, etc etc etc.

Not to get too much on a soapbox here, but those same people let many, many people suffer for days on end and did nothing but watch it on tv. And, continue to do very little.

Simply...there is no guidance and, now, I don't expect any. Not from our authorities. That is why I turn here or to my own resources.

If the current average annual precipitation is 61.88 inches, accompanied by high humidity levels during sultry, summer months,- enter variables: specific organic chemical compounds act systemically and transpire through foliage; LC50 advisories from MSDS(Material Safety Data Sheets) and realize that toxicity projections are primarily based upon a healthy 150 lb.male...per one given chemical....
I wouldn't want my offspring to be sleeping in a hostile environment...

Also,where is OSHA here,for this is your working environment??

....the format of ginger's link is most unacceptable as I would most definately require peer reviewied sign offs, (documenterd there) from inter and intra-agencies based upon this link ...unaltered and as it stands....
...otherwise...(my viewpoint), this represents a form of psuedoscience....

....please give me a modicum of hope that efforts are coordinated down there as I have written out checks.....

The link had no text, but I wonder if it was simply reporting, like this
http://www.starhawk.org/activism/activism-writings/activism-writings.html
rather than journal articles.

I have heard about these techniques -- EM for anaerobes, aerated compost tea to jumpstart beneficial aerobic bacteria, mushrooms for diesel fuels, accumulator plants for heavy metals -- in other contexts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Starhawk's bioremediation reports

habitat gardener....no direct link there...In closing, this is quite a complex issue.I wouldn't wish to be played for a fool, not having access to pertinent information, spend money on questionable products, and live there in a hostile environment hoping that everything somehow works out in my family's favor.....no thanks...