opinions

by Mark Moseley

Previously, I laid blame on the reckless loyalty of state leaders to powerful oil and gas interests. But we — their constituents — also deserve a hefty chunk of the blame. We’ve continued to swallow ludicrous, fear-laced arguments from Big Oil’s policymakers while the southern third of our state dissolves. Then we re-elect them.

air quality alert issued for St Bernard Parish

This morning LDEQ issued an Air Quality Alert for St Bernard Parish because the level of Sulfur Dioxide concentration violated the health standard.  An SO2 alert was also issued yesterday evening.

Sensitive groups, like children, the elderly, people with COPD, respiratory issues, and asthma, should restrict outdoor activity.

""In terms of the recent exceedances, it appeared that whatever emissions overages had occurred, likely at parish refineries, had ceased by Friday afternoon.
The most recent sulfur dioxide spike above the 75 parts per billion sulfur dioxide standard at the DEQ's Chalmette Vista monitoring station was a 90 parts per billion reading, recorded at 10 a.m. Friday.
That marked the fourth exceedance since Thursday, with the highest overage being a 112 parts per billion reading at 9 p.m. Thursday."" 

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/12/louisiana_deq_issues_air_quali.html
 

 

LDEQ has changed access to air monitor data. 

Hourly readings are now accessible at http://airquality.deq.louisiana.gov/Data  

Select Ch_Vista or Meraux and select Date

Hourly readings for Valero's Ventura Drive monitor are accessible here: http://lena.providenceeng.com/Hourly.aspx

 

 

hazardous site closed

Land Treatment Unit closure documents

http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=9174602&ob=yes&child=yes

 

 

there's still hope for change

 

No. 2 Gibbs

 

"It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will"

what's in your backyard?

an unsettling situation "just a stone's throw distance away from people's homes"

this story unfortunately has so many familiar characteristics of what happens to American town's when then federal agencies that are suppose to protect us, fail



http://on.aol.com/video/patty-amenos-one-woman-nuclear-crusade-518023247?hp=1&playlist=127173&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D410084  (WSJ Live report John Emshwiller )

to paraphrase Patty Ameno's statements about her crusade to clean up nuclear contamination in her home town

words cannot express the level of faith that people in this area had in our government and then to realize that we had been lied to. this isnt right, so is so unAmerican

citizen activism was instrumental in required cleanup.... it took nearly 10 years for clean up work to begin, only to be stopped with the discovery of unexpected amounts of complex materials in the area that was not even fenced-off at that time. cleanup should ensure the contaminants are comprehensively and safely removed and that the sediment of the river is tested so the town can come out of this contaminated legacy and leave something for the future generations