The New York Times reported that the death certificate for Norman Parr, 69, said he died in New Orleans, while Carol Parr, 59, was said to have perished on Fable Drive, but at the wrong address. Mr. Parr's certificate lists his death as ‘Hurricane Katrina Related’ but also adds that it was due to "cardiovascular disease" and ‘decomposition.’ Likewise, Ms. Parr's certificate cited decomposition as a cause of death, though it also noted she had drowned.”
Other reports surfaced that appropriate paperwork was never associated with bodies, especially the important information which indicated where the bodies were found. There are unproved allegations that bodies were cremated before families could find them. [24]
There is no question that body collection and identification was bungled, and as OPED news and others have reported, a huge part of the bungling and delay was caused by the Bush-family connected Houston-based Kenyon International Emergency Services.
While bodies were mishandled at St. Gabriel, the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT), in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers, was engaged in another project. They were directed to provide engineering and construction support to the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT). The U.S. Navy in also pitched in by using an existing contract between the Navy and contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root.
What is noteworthy and under-reported is that DMORT is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program and part of the National Disaster Medical System.
The additional facility, now completely under the control of Homeland Security, was built by Navy Seabees in nearby Carville, LA.
The compound is inaccessible to the public, but consists of 37 acres, with an 18,720 square foot “morgue facility.” Why is this needed?
According to the Corps of Engineers description, “The morgue is divided into two sections. One half contains 10 separate analysis stations for forensic tasks and the other half is divided into warehouse space and re-casketing workspace.”
It was designed to be capable of processing 150 victims per day in “future disasters.”
The Modesto California Bee reported on September 10, 2005 that the federal government put out a bid for 50,000 body bags above and beyond the 20,000 that were shipped to New Orleans in the Katrina aftermath.
"We recently delivered every bag we had in stock, which is about 400," said John Hassapakis, manager of Central Valley Professional Services in Modesto. "Those were sent directly to New Orleans."
"They are for backup in Louisiana and for offshore purposes, but it will be months before they will be able to get them," he said.
The Modesto company can make 5,000 bags a month when it is operating at full capacity. Besides Central Valley Professional Services, there is another Modesto business - California Professional Manufacturing - that makes body bags, Hassapakis said in an interview with the Bee.
No Accounting
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