News Release Archives

Today, DEQ hosted the Environmental Leadership Awards at the DEQ headquarters in the Galvez building in downtown Baton Rouge. DEQ Secretary Peggy Hatch was joined by Sen. Mike Walsworth, chair, Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and Rep. Gordon Dove, chair, House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, to recognize environmental achievements. Members of ELP were commended for their voluntary pollution prevention efforts, community environmental outreach initiatives, and environmental management systems that went above and beyond regulatory compliance to improve the environment

The DEQ Drinking Water Protection Team needs you! There will be a second meeting for the Evangeline Parish Drinking Water Protection Program, and it is not too late to get involved.

The meeting will be held in compliance with Louisiana Open Meetings Law as defined by Louisiana R.S. 42:11, et seq. The public is invited to attend. For inquiries about the meeting please contact Robert Thomas at 225-219-3972 or Robert.Thomas@la.gov.

Today investigators with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality's Criminal Investigation Division arrested a Calcasieu Parish couple on 15 felony violations of Louisiana�s Water Control Law. Ronnie LaRocca, 54, and Katherine LaRocca, 51, residing at 2530 Carlo Henry Road, own and operate Oak Forest Mobile Home Park on La. 3059 east of La. 171 in Lake Charles. The LaRoccas are alleged to have knowingly violated their water discharge permit issued by DEQ over the past four years when they failed to sample sewage treatment plant discharges from their mobile home park and submit quarterly monitoring reports to DEQ.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a long-term vision for assessment, restoration and protection under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d) Program.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is offering training for permittees on the use of the NetDMR online application for the submission of discharge monitoring reports. A discharge monitoring report, known as a DMR, is a self-reporting document that is generated by permittees who have a Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The DMR contains information about discharges into waters of the state.

Jeffrey Nolan, Manager of DEQ's Criminal Investigation Division, was recognized Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Excellence in Criminal Enforcement in the investigation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred in April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE*****NEW LOCATION****FOR NEW ORLEANS AREA TRAINING CLASS