POLLOCK, LA (January 11, 2008) - Citizens have the chance to offer comments regarding a controversial permit that was issued to Vanguard SynFuels that allows the company to discharge waste from its biodiesel plant into two Louisiana Scenic Rivers.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) will hold a public hearing to receive comments on Vanguard SynFuels' permit to discharge into these waterbodies. The permit is under review and the public has been asked to attend a hearing which will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2008, at 6 p.m., at the Pollock Community Unity Center, 3814 Patterson Street, Pollock.

"The pollution would be an assault on the natural beauty of our area," says Ernie Vallery of Pollock. "Our natural resources are critical to the cultural identity of Pollock, so this is a fight for who we are. For instance, their waste would flow into regionally acclaimed swimming spots such as Dean's Hole, which inspired scenes of the book and movie Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."

The plant's permit documents six outfalls that would discharge a variety of waste streams into the local waterways such as Little River (eventually reaching Catahoula Lake), Big Creek (via local drainage), and Mill Creek. Little River and Big Creek have been designated as Scenic Rivers (also known as "outstanding natural resource waters") by the state of Louisiana due to their uniqueness and free-flowing condition. The Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act designated these as scenic rivers to "be preserved, protected, and enhanced for the present and future benefit of Louisiana citizens."

"How unfortunate that, in spite of a law passed by the state legislature to preserve our resources, industry chooses to ignore the potential environmental impact of their actions and continues to propose projects which will degrade them," said Marylee Orr of Louisiana Environmental Action Network headquartered in Baton Rouge. "It is not acceptable to trade our treasured waters and safe drinking water for fuel production. Louisiana needs to catch up to the 21st century and demand nothing less than a vibrant economy in partnership with a clean environment."

"We appreciate that this facility is producing an alternative to petroleum derived fuel and we hope that Louisiana industry continues to invest in environmentally-friendly technology and alternative energy," said Paul Orr of Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper. "However, it is unacceptable to degrade the environment to produce a product that is intended to reduce environmental impacts."

The plant's application, draft permit, final permit, and statement of basis are available for review from the LDEQ's Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) at www.deq.louisiana.gov at the Grant Parish Library - Pollock Branch, or contact the LEAN/LMRK office at 225-928-1315.