Environmental Update Archives

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has asked the public to be aware of a possible increase in fish kills and odors throughout area water bodies as a result of algal blooms in waterways as well as the current high temperatures affecting the state.

On Sept. 18, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Department began conducting indoor air monitoring within the Bayou Corne community as a result of the ongoing sinkhole investigation in Assumption Parish and because of concerns from local citizens. To date, eight homes have been monitored with no concerns noted. Additional homes will be monitored as the rights of passage are received and citizens are contacted to set up a date and approximate time for the assessment.

EPA analysis finds no evidence of detectable concentrations of natural gas or elevated radiation levels near sinkhole Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Peggy Hatch today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has returned a report on last week's aerial survey of the Bayou Corne area, with findings indicating no detectable concentrations of natural gas or other chemicals in the atmosphere and no elevated radiation levels related to cavern operations.

Readings from monitoring equipment indicated there were no detectable levels for naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) on the surface of a slurry hole in Assumption Parish. Scientists from the Department of Environmental Quality began executing a sampling plan today.

Scientists from the Department of Environmental Quality will be in and around a slurry hole near Bayou Corne in Assumption Parish today to sample for naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Because the location of the slurry hole is in the proximity of areas that had been previously used for oil and gas exploration, there is the possibility for low levels of NORM to be present. The location of the sampling is remote and not in a populated area. However, out of an abundance of caution, and to gather more information, DEQ Secretary Peggy Hatch is requiring certified scientists to develop and execute a sampling plan that includes soil and water samples for NORM to verify there are no health risks.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality held a meeting in Lafayette today on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Ozone Advance Program today. The meeting was held at the South Louisiana Community College.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality held a meeting in Shreveport on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Ozone Advance Program today. The meeting was held at the Bossier City Civic Center, Bodcau Room, with the Coordinating and Development Corporation, the North Louisiana Council of Governments, and various governmental leaders. DEQ staff presented an overview of the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone along with a synopsis of the current ozone conditions in Shreveport Region.

The American Lung Association's State of the Air report was released today and demonstrates the improvement in air quality throughout Louisiana. Several cities were listed as cleanest in the nation for particle pollution, known as PM 2.5, with Monroe-Bastrop listed as one of the top seven cleanest cities in the nation for PM 2.5 and ozone combined.