A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

EMERGENCY & RADIATION

Natural and Catastrophic Disaster Response Information

General:

What You Can Do

Preparing for natural disasters can greatly reduce the risks to health and the environment.

  • Hurricanes or floods can contaminate drinking water sources. 
  • Forest fires can affect air quality.
  • Tornadoes or earthquakes can damage factories or storage facilities that could release contaminants into populated areas or into the environment.

Planning 

  • Individuals and homeownerscan plan ahead to protect health for themselves and family members.
  • Communities, schools, and businesses can plan ahead to reduce risks and possible costs of storm-related spills or cleanup.

Recovery

Understanding risks will help speed recovery efforts and help keep problems from becoming worse. Improper use of portable generators or heating devices can release deadly carbon monoxide to indoor air. Ice-melting agents used improperly can pollute waterways. Large amounts of debris can present serious disposal problems for state and local communities. Owners or operators of damaged facilities may be responsible for reporting spills.

Report suspected spills, contamination, or possible violations.

  • Requirements for Emergency Notification: (LAC 33:I.3915)
    For Emergency incidents, as defined in (LAC 33:I.3915), call the Hazardous Material Hotline at (225) 925-6595 as soon as possible within the first hour of the emergency.  A call to the DEQ Hotline does not qualify as Emergency incident notification.  However, a written notification report by the facility to the DEQ is still required within seven calendar days after the initial reporting to the Louisiana State Police.

    Requirements for Non-Emergency Notification: (LAC 33:I.3917)
    In the event of an unauthorized discharge that exceeds a reportable quantity specified in Subchapter E of LAC 33:I. Chapter 39 but does not cause an emergency condition, call Hazardous Material Hotline at (225) 925-6595 within 24  hours after learning of the discharge.

    Requirements for Notifying the Department: (LAC 33:I.3923)
    Permit excursions, exceedances, and any other conditions do not fall under one of the two conditions above can be reported to DEQ Single Point of Contact (SPOC) by one of the three ways below:

    1. The first is the a verbal notification can be made by calling the DEQ Hotline at (225) 342-1234.  The DEQ-SPOC phone line is manned during working hours (M - F, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm). The DEQ-SPOC office line is (225) 219-3640. If calls are made after hours, leave a voice mail.
    2. Another option for reporting is the Online Incident Reporting system.  Simply follow the onscreen instructions and complete the necessary fields.  The onscreen user will receive a summary of the notification along with a confirmation tracking number which can be printed for a record of the notification.
    3. As a final alternative, a direct email may be used to contact the DEQ at the following address with the necessary information to submit a notification: spoc@LA.GOV.  (This option does not produce a confirmation.)

Generator Safety

People get sick or die each year from carbon monoxide or "CO" poisoning due to unsafe use of generators.

  • ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic.  Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawl spaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours. More information. (Public Service Announcement about carbon monoxide) 

Air

Disaster Debris Management

Waste

Three categories of waste facilities defined for solid waste management purposes

Type I Facility—a facility used for disposing of industrial solid wastes (e.g., a landfill, surface impoundment, or landfarm). (If the facility is used for disposing of residential or commercial solid waste, it is also a Type II facility.)

Type II Facility—a facility used for disposing of residential and/or commercial solid waste (e.g., a landfill, surface impoundment, or landfarm). (If the facility is used for disposing of industrial solid waste, it is also a Type I facility.)

Type III Facility—a facility used for disposing or processing of construction/demolition debris or woodwaste, composting organic waste to produce a usable material, or separating recyclable wastes (e.g., a construction/demolition-debris or woodwaste landfill, separation facility, or composting facility).

Water