News Release Archives

On March 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an order through its Region 6 office in Dallas to the U.S. Department of the Army to address 15 million pounds of abandoned explosives and propellant stored on the grounds of Camp Minden in Minden.

DEQ will host four free training sessions across the state on Air Permitting 201: Understanding the Details. These sessions will provide more in depth information on air permitting in Louisiana. Participants will learn how the air regulations apply to the development of a permit. Specific examples will be discussed and will cover samples of each typical document included in the permits.

Today, DEQ hosted the Environmental Leadership Awards. DEQ Secretary Peggy Hatch was joined by Representative Gordon Dove, House Natural Resources and Environment Committee chair, to recognize environmental achievements. New and existing members of ELP were commended for their voluntary pollution prevention efforts and community environmental outreach initiatives. The ceremony highlighted projects that went above and beyond regulatory compliance to substantially improve the quality of the environment.

The City of Kenner is working hard with various offices at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to address its historical sewer problems related to both collection and treatment systems.

It is dry in Louisiana right now and wildfires could be started easily, so it is important to know the regulations and laws concerning open burning in the state. When people burn waste, it causes air pollution and, in some cases, can be illegal. Open burning of certain materials is prohibited in Louisiana. If you have a trash pile and burn household waste, construction debris or anything other than vegetative matter, you could be subject to a fine.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is sponsoring a free Enviroschool class on "Understanding MS4 Permits: Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems" in six cities around the state. The training session will help municipalities and contractors understand the MS4 permits and will provide practical applications to clarify permitting issues. All classes will be held from 10 a.m. until noon.

ExxonMobil will pay $2,329,000 to fund beneficial environmental projects (BEPs) and a spill countermeasures program and to pay civil penalties to DEQ under a settlement agreement finalized Jan. 9.

A review copy of the draft Louisiana Nutrient Management Strategy is now available and the state is accepting public comment on it until Jan. 31, 2014. Louisiana Nutrient Management Strategy: Protection, Improvement, and Restoration of Water Quality in Louisiana's Water Bodies focuses on factors such as nitrogen and phosphorus that may impact local water bodies as well as contribute to seasonal low dissolved oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico.