Air News Archives

Today, investigators within the Criminal Investigation Division of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality arrested a New Jersey man for felony illegal disposal of harmful substances.

Today, the Department of Environmental Quality issued an administrative order requiring a Shreveport landfill owned by Harrelson Material Management, Inc. to cease receiving and disposing of new material, which is believed to be causing fire and smoke issues at the landfill site. DEQ issued the order out of an abundance of caution and is currently testing environmental conditions at the site and monitoring the air in the area.

Today, representatives from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality came together to raise awareness of the importance of air quality for people's health. EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry and DEQ Secretary Peggy Hatch spoke about ozone and its effects on air quality and people's health as part of Air Quality Awareness Month. Ozone levels usually rise with warmer temperatures, and higher levels can contribute to breathing problems such as increased asthma attacks. Governor Bobby Jindal declared May as Air Quality Awareness Month to encourage Louisiana residents to learn more about ozone, how it forms, and how it can affect their health. May is also EPA's Asthma Awareness Month, which highlights the connection between air quality and people's health.

Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared May as Air Quality Awareness Month in Louisiana. May is traditionally the start of ozone season and the proclamation was made to encourage citizens to become familiar with the Air Quality Index, to understand what causes ozone formation and to take voluntary steps to help prevent ozone formation and improve air quality.

EnviroFlash, DEQ's free automatic notification system, delivers air quality information to you in a timely and convenient manner. Since May is Air Quality Awareness Month and the start of ozone season, knowing the air quality is important in planning your activities. Through EnviroFlash, information is available to you on a daily basis or on demand.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that the Baton Rouge area is currently attaining the 2008 8-hour ozone standard. The determination is based on a recent review of air quality data from 2011-2013. The State has decreased ground-level ozone in Baton Rouge which improved air quality and human health for more than 800,000 residents.

The 2014 Louisiana Envirothon was held at the Botanic Gardens of the LSU AgCenter. Eight teams from around the state participated in the environmental problem-solving competition for students in grades 6 -12. Teams trained and competed by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. The competition focuses on five natural resource areas: soils and land use, aquatic resources, forestry, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. The 2014 current environmental issue was Sustainable Local Agriculture/Locally Grown. Teams also presented a solution to an environmental problem related to the current issue through an oral presentation.

Today, the Louisiana Environmental Crimes Task Force completed the arrests of seven individuals for knowingly filing or maintaining false public records with DEQ in connection with the vehicle emissions program. Investigators within the Criminal Investigation Division of DEQ, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Safety conducted the multi-agency investigation.