Environment

Federal judge throws out suit aimed to protect dolphins from Bonnet Carre Spillway openings

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Sep 21, 2024

A lawsuit filed by Mississippi Gulf Coast local governments, representatives of its tourism industry and Mississippi fishers against the Army Corps of Engineers to protect bottlenose dolphins …

After violations, Louisiana's River Bend nuclear power plant to seek cut in emergency water

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Sep 20, 2024

Entergy's River Bend nuclear power plant near St. Francisville sits next to the Mississippi River for a reason.

Federal government seeks to restart lawsuit against Denka's Louisiana plant emissions

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Updated Sep 20, 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency has asked a federal judge in New Orleans to restart a stalled lawsuit attempting to force Denka Performance Elastomers to immediately reduce emissions of a …

Mississippi River mayors meet in Baton Rouge, outline goals for next president

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Sep 18, 2024

Mayors meeting in Baton Rouge say drought policy and funding to address drinking water issues needed for Mississippi River communities.

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Mayor says Entergy deprioritized Donaldsonville after Francine. The company denies it.

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT | Staff writer
Sep 17, 2024

Ascension Parish was hit hard by Hurricane Francine last Wednesday. Trees toppled and power lines fell, and Entergy reported more than 28,000 parish customers were without power the day after …

Negotiations drag on over Louisiana's biggest coastal project. This group warns against changes.

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
Updated Sep 17, 2024

The nearly $3 billion project broke ground last year, but has since ended up in limbo. Gov. Jeff Landry's administration has shifted the state's strategy.

Louisiana's embattled environmental chief wants more time to respond to workplace audit

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Sep 17, 2024

Aurelia Giacometto, a former Trump administration official, has been hit by a series of top-level resignations and complaints about her management style.

Massive, fiery gas pipeline explosion in Houston suburbs prompts evacuations

By JUAN A. LOZANO | The Associated Press
Sep 16, 2024

LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — A massive pipeline fire sent a pillar of flame towering over some Houston suburbs on Monday as first responders evacuated a surrounding neighborhood and tried to keep mo…

Corps starts building barrier to block salt water in Mississippi River. What do the forecasts say?

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
Updated Sep 16, 2024

The sill, or underwater levee, is being built for a third year in a row to head off the potential for New Orleans area drinking water to be threatened.

Hurricane Francine exposed flaws in New Orleans area drainage. The threats are only going to worsen.

By MIKE SMITH, BEN MYERS, JOSIE ABUGOV and BLAKE PATERSON | Staff writers
Sep 15, 2024

Francine did not pose a particularly severe test of the New Orleans region's ability to handle stormwater, but the results were not reassuring.

Francine allows test of New Orleans area levee gates, pumps

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Sep 13, 2024

Hurricane Francine provided a good test of the abilities of the east and west bank levee authorities in the New Orleans area to close hundreds of gates in advance of its surge, officials for b…

Hurricane Francine's unusual structure led to heavy rain, high winds in New Orleans area

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN AND JEFF ADELSON | Staff writers
Updated Sep 13, 2024

Throughout its short life, Hurricane Francine was a storm that seemed barely able to hold itself together.

Helped by Francine's path, Grand Isle and Jean Lafitte escape major damage this time

BY JOSIE ABUGOV | Staff writer
Updated Sep 13, 2024

He attributed the lack of widespread damage to an expanding levee system, additional pumps, drainage improvements and volunteer sandbagging efforts.

Hurricane Francine's sweep floods homes, leaves hundreds of thousands without power. Assessments underway.

By MIKE SMITH and JAMES FINN | Staff writers
Updated Sep 13, 2024

Damage assessments were underway early Thursday across roughly a third of the state.

Hurricane Francine lashes Louisiana. New Orleans, Baton Rouge pelted by heavy rain.

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer with Staff Reports
Updated Sep 11, 2024

The storm moved inland and began to weaken, but still posed serious risks.

New Orleans area braces to ride out Francine. 'Put it in Lord's hands.'

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
Updated Sep 10, 2024

A shift to the east added to concerns. Powerful winds, flash flooding, tornadoes and electricity outages were among the risks.

IMTT withdraws plan for Louisiana tank farm after neighbors' concerns

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Updated Sep 10, 2024

A New Orleans-based chemical storage company is reevaluating its proposal to build a new facility near Luling after residents aired their concerns last month about an important land use change…

See the Louisiana parish-by-parish storm surge predictions from Francine

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

How high will Hurricane Francine's storm surge be in your coastal parish?

New Orleans area warily eyes Francine. High winds, flooding and power outages are concerns.

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer and Staff reports
Updated Sep 9, 2024

Much remained unclear in the forecast. The New Orleans area was preparing for potential impacts.

EPA faults Louisiana's Marathon refinery, hit by a massive blaze last year

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Updated Sep 13, 2024

The Marathon Oil refinery in Garyville, hit by a massive blaze last year that sent giant plumes of smoke over the area, has been accused by regulators of 20 alleged breakdowns, ranging from in…

EPA pushes state to cut Cabot Corporation's Ville Platte sulfur dioxide pollution

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Updated Sep 6, 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency took steps this week to get the state Department of Environmental Quality to assure that the Cabot Corporation’s Ville Platte carbon black manufacturing pla…

Shark concerns off Louisiana's coast spark plan to eliminate some catch limits

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
Updated Sep 5, 2024

Anglers have long complained of problems with sharks off Louisiana's coast. A proposal would allow more to be caught and kept.

Top official for Louisiana's environmental agency resigns, adding to list of high-level departures

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL and MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writers
Sep 4, 2024

Officials described his departure after five months on the job as unrelated to turmoil at DEQ, saying it was simply an opportunity he wanted to pursue.

Shell settles with LDEQ over alleged violations at Geismar facility, including ethylene oxide release

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT | Staff writer
Sep 4, 2024

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality recently settled with Shell Chemical Company in connection with several alleged violations at its Geismar site for a little more than $20,000.

Tangipahoa has suffered from flooding for years. In trend, Corps wants to raise homes

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Sep 3, 2024

Since Hurricane Katrina passed in 2005, Doug Brown's home a few miles east of Ponchatoula has flooded three times, including twice in 2016.

A new wave of industrial plants is coming to Louisiana. Residents say there are new concerns too.

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | Staff writer
Updated Sep 2, 2024

A proposed project in St. Charles Parish would employ carbon capture and cleaner technology. Residents aren't convinced -- and similar battles are likely.

First-of-its-kind grant could reduce flooding, rebuild wetlands in this vulnerable part of Louisiana

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Sep 2, 2024

A first-of-its kind federal grant will be used to reduce flood risk and rebuild lost wetlands in an area of St. Bernard Parish where homeowners have had to file repeated flood insurance claims.

Near the end of the Mississippi River, salt water threatens again. Are they ready this time?

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer
Updated Sep 16, 2024

It's happening for a third year in a row in lower Plaquemines Parish. Officials say they now have to treat it like hurricane preparations.