Water News Archives

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.

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A Zachary man was sentenced Wednesday, Feb. 4, in the 18th Judicial District Court for violating Louisiana's Environmental Quality Act. Leon Wallace, 58, of 23291 Plank Road, Zachary, illegally dumped gasoline and diesel fuel behind a Port Allen video poker casino in January 2013.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has selected Evangeline Parish as the next stop for its drinking water protection campaign, 'Protect Drinking Water One Drop at a Time.' The program's goal is to increase the public's awareness and participation in protecting the area's drinking water.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Enviroschool is sponsoring free training sessions for communities, businesses and other organizations that will give them an understanding of DEQ construction stormwater permits. These sessions will provide an overview of stormwater general permits and the requirements for operators of construction projects to obtain authorization to discharge stormwater. An emphasis will be placed on new requirements in the 2014 Large Construction General Permit, LAR100000.