The BP Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and burned in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 50 miles from the coast of Louisiana on April 20, 2010. Eleven workers were killed. The rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico on Earth Day, April 22, 2010. Large quantities of Louisiana Sweet Crude were released into the Gulf of Mexico from the Macondo well for 87 days.
The EPA has objected to Nucor's permits in response to petitions filed by Zen-Noh Grain Corporation, a company that owns a grain elevator next to the new plant site and who is concerned the air pollutants from the plant could harm the elevator's workers and contaminate the grain. Louisiana Environmental Action Network and Sierra Club also petitioned EPA to object to Nucor's permits but EPA will not address the issues raised in these petitions until LDEQ has resolved EPA's present objections.
Slidell residents and LEAN members in several neighborhoods which are abutting a concrete crushing operation set up by Tammany Holding Company and others in the backyards of their residential communities won in civil court on March 27, 2012. Now, the commercial operators have 15 days to become a better neighbor or face fines and other actions, said Attorneys Mike Stag and John Fontenot, SmithStagLLC.
This morning (March 22, 2012), Just a little over one month after the EPA announced new rules on regulating pollution from plants producing polyvinyl chloride, an explosion, chemical release, and fire was reported at Westlake Chemical's Geismar Vinyls Complex near Geismar, LA in Ascension Parish.
"Incidents like this one highlight why LEAN has worked hard for 26 years to demand that the industrial facilities in Louisiana be held to the strictest environmental and safety standards possible," said Marylee Orr, Executive Director of Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), "Our experiences have shown us that fair but stringent and consistent oversight and regulation is necessary to reduce the number of these kinds of incidents as well as 'everyday' emissions. It is not too much to ask that the health and safety of our communities be protected."
While the fire is reported to be under control, residents are concerned about the possibility of exposure to the chemicals released during the incident. Residents are also concerned by any ongoing releases that may have resulted from the explosion and fire.
Jean Kelly, spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Quality said, "the plant was releasing vinyl chloride monomer, hydrochloric acid, chlorine and hydrochloric acid solution," in an interview with the Times-Picayune.
Hope at last!
Health Concerns have gone unaddressed for too long.
Detoxification program providing first sign of real solutions.
The Gulf Coast Detoxification Project is open and results are looking GREAT!
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- Louisiana Environmental Action Network and its Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper program along with Waterkeeper Alliance and several Gulf Coast Waterkeeper organizations filed suit in Federal Court today, February 2, 2012, against Taylor Energy Co., LLC under the citizen suit provisions of the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation Recovery Act, for ongoing violations stemming from an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has continued to flow for seven years.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program released data for the calendar year 2010. The 6 greenhouse gases required to be reported consist of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the fluorinated gases PFC-14, PFC-116 and HFC-23. In the United States, carbon dioxide accounted for 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions, methane accounted for 4% and nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases 1%.
In the wake of the BP Oil Disaster many Gulf Coast residents continue to face health challenges. Read more to watch the video.
The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone along the Louisiana coast, commonly called the "Dead Zone" has been a well documented problem for decades now. However, the state and federal environmental agencies have failed to take even the most basic regulatory steps to address this problem. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally proposed to add these waters to the official list of impaired waters.
Today the Environmental Protection Agency announced they issued Mercury and Air Toxics Standards(MATS) for Power Plants. The Standards cover air emissions of Mercury, Arsenic, Nickel, Selenium, Cyanide and Acid Gases from Power Plants.
