Louisiana needs to improve identification of industrial polluters who do not report violations and to more aggressively enforce these violations. Identification of enforcement actions from 2015-2019 from 10 months to 20 months.
“As a result, there is a risk that facilities may have violations that remain uncorrected for years,” an audit summary said. “Best practices state that effective enforcement includes swift and predictable responses to violations.”
NOLA.com
The auditors also found that it took up to 9 years before the company was ordered to pay a fine or do mitigation work.
“Louisiana has the highest toxic air emissions per square mile of any state,” the report said, based on data gathered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 Toxics Release Inventory, a self-reported measurement of toxic chemicals released into the air, land or water by individual facilities.
“Louisiana has the highest toxic air emissions per square mile of any state,” the report said, based on data gathered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 Toxics Release Inventory, a self-reported measurement of toxic chemicals released into the air, land or water by individual facilities.
The report included 11 major recommendations. A response included in the report from DEQ Secretary Chuck Carr Brown said the agency generally agreed with 10 of them. The only one they’re at odds over is a recommendation that DEQ inspectors take photographs or gather other hard evidence that will show inspections actually take place. Brown pointed out that inspectors fill out a “field interview form” during the inspection that is left at the facility, and that copies are signed by both the inspectors and facility employees.
.The full Report can be found at : LADEQ Report
To locate reports from the Louisiana Legislative Auditors you can go to: LLA Reports
Department of Environmental Quality – Monitoring and Enforcement of Air Quality:
