NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Demolition of abandoned houses built on toxic waste site It started in New Orleans on Wednesday, when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan joined local officials in announcing plans to replace homes with a solar farm.

Homes in the area known as Gordon Plaza were built in the 1970s and 1980s and marketed to Black and low- and middle-income residents, who were not told it was a one-time landfill. As awareness grew and environmentalists voiced concerns, the area was given a city name. federal Superfund cleanup Following reports that the soil was contaminated with carcinogenic substances including lead and arsenic, residents began a decades-long effort to relocate at government expense.

The city has set aside $35 million in 2022 for the purchase of residents’ homes.

Shortly before diggers began demolishing the first home, Regan praised Mayor LaToya Cantrell, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, City Council members and activists who worked to make the purchases happen.

The moment was “bittersweet,” Regan said at the pre-demolition press conference broadcast live by WWL-TV.

“Ultimately, this is the demolition of a neighborhood that holds sentimental value to so many people, despite all the problems they face,” Regan said. “This is where many people buy their first home after years of work and countless sacrifices.”

City Council members Oliver Thomas and Eugene Green said there were family members who moved to the subdivision with high hopes but learned of the environmental dangers.

“I am happy to be here today to honor the families who have gone through so much for so long,” Green said.

New Orleans officials say they hope to use energy from the solar farm planned for the facility to supplement energy supplies for the city’s street drainage pump system.