LA environmental wars

The chemical corridor, referred to as Cancer Alley environmentalists, along the 85-mile area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, contains several hotspots where cancer risks are far above levels deemed acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new analysis by the investigative website ProPublica. In fact, it's the largest hotspot of cancer-causing air in the country, followed by two areas in Texas. However, it's not news to Louisianians. (Source: NOLA.com 11/05/21) Louisiana chemical corridor is the country's largest hot spot for toxic air, cancer risk | Environment | nola.com  

 

Parish residents want sanctions vs Nucor 

Some north St. James (La.) Parish residents and environmental groups have asked the federal EPA to sanction Nucor over its history of pollution and claiming the state’s watchdog, the Department of Environmental Quality, has taken weak and cheap settlement against the steel-maker. In the petition to EPA, Romeville-area residents and environmental groups claim LDEQ settled with the public company over air permit violations, which, they say, does nothing to deter future infractions. The $89.760 settlement was made public in June. “Nucor has been and continues to emit increasingly high levels of toxic and hazardous pollutants in clear violation of the law, with LDEQ taking little or no action to enforce permit limitations and protect the health and environment of St. James Parish," the residents allege in the petition reviewed by NOLA.com. The violations were at the firm’s $750M plant north of Romeville and Convent on. The settlement addresses a range of violations, from emissions of caustic sulfuric acid mist and highly flammable hydrogen sulfide gas that had gone unchecked for years after the plant opened in 2013. Nucor had no authority to release the chemicals under its original air permit. The appeal is not a lawsuit, but a direct citizens' request allowed under the U.S. Clear Air Act to urge the EPA to exercise its oversight. EPA has no timeline to respond, if at all. (Source: NOLA.com 11/07/21) EPA oversight sought on settlement with Nucor over toxic sulfur pollution that wasn't allowed | News | theadvocate.com