document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Biden administration sued a chemical company operating in southeast Louisiana on Tuesday, compelling it to face up to the cancer risk generated by its toxic emissions, a move that activists have been demanding for years. Can you tell if a bomb train is coming to your town? Contact: dcfs.louisiana.gov 627 N. Fourth St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.524.3578 About the Agency. BATON ROUGE The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will resume full walk-in customer service for individual and business taxpayers in northeast Louisiana with the re-opening of the LDR Monroe Regional Office. method of making certain that your payments are received and posted correctly and on-time. In a statement Tuesday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the Justice Department's move followed his pledge to take strong action for communities living near the plant. A lock ( Box 94005 Baton Rouge, LA 70804 (800) 423-2129 Terms of Use / Privacy Policy Powered By (888) 617-1811 | help@paystar.co PayStar Terms of Use Department of Justice ag.louisiana.gov 1885 N. Third St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.326.6079 EPA is finally treating this health crisis for what it isan emergency. What remains to be seen, she told Grist in an email, is how much and how fast it will be enforced. DuPont still owns the land beneath Denkas facility so is also named in the DOJ complaint. Payment Processing for utilities, government, businesses. If you received one of the letters but havent responded yet, simply complete and return the attached voucher to LDR. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Donate today to keep our climate news free. Children under the age of 16 are particularly vulnerable to mutagenic carcinogens like chloroprene. The material was invented by scientists at Dupont, the American chemical giant that owns the complex where Denka operates, and that sold it the neoprene plant in 2015. 2021 Recap Video. The agency is now under a court order to get it done. It was part of the Biden administrations effort to spotlight concerns of environmental justice, a term that refers to the disproportionate pollution borne by so many low income communities of color across the country. LaPlace is in the majority-Black St. John the Baptist Parish,about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. Next Cancel P.O. Denka Performance Elastomer, a synthetic rubber manufacturing plant owned by a Japanese company of the same name, is located half a mile from an elementary school in St. John the Baptist Parish, where the air is laced with toxic chemicals emitted by dozens of different industrial facilities and more than 60 percent of residents are Black. The US justice department has sued the two petrochemical giants behind a facility in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" responsible for the highest cancer risk rates caused by air pollution in the . An official website of the United States government. DuPont did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its statement, Denka said it strongly disagrees with the federal government's decision to file a legal complaint and with the EPA's assessment of the health risks the plant's emissions pose to the surrounding community. ContractforProfessionalLegalServicesTemplate.pdf, GuidetoLAJPCourts2ndEdition9.28.2021forweb.pdf, AmendedOpenMeetingsGuidanceinlightofCOVID-19andtherecentpassageofR.S.4217.1.pdf. Separately, the two groups sued the EPA for missing a deadline to update its regulations for neoprene manufacturing plants. Email: ConstituentServices@ag.louisiana.gov. Sign up hereinstead Legal Opinions Consumer Information Mary Hampton, another founder of Concerned Citizens of St John Parish, said the lawsuit was the culmination of years of advocacy from community members and represented that finally we have a little hope. Create an Account Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Its complicated. U.S. District Courts Eastern District of Louisiana Middle District of Louisiana Western District of Louisiana U.S. Bankruptcy Courts Eastern District of Louisiana Middle District of Louisiana Western District of Louisiana State and Local Courts State Judiciary Judiciary - Links to Louisiana Courts Supreme Court Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry Loading. Chloroprene is a liquid raw material used to produce neoprene and is emitted into the air from various areas at the facility. 0:10. This complaint filed against Denka delivers on that promise. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS State of Louisiana Department of Justice c/o Constituent Services P. O. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. The Denka Performance Elastomer plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, along the Mississippi River, is the only facility in the U.S. that produces chloroprene, a chemical used in the production of neoprene. Heres why a California beach town just banned balloons, This is absurd: Train cars that derailed in Ohio were labeled non-hazardous, Why North Dakota is preparing to sue Minnesota over clean energy, Study: Extreme heat is driving deaths in US prisons, In a growing petrochemical hub, the East Palestine derailment triggers an uneasy feeling, One year in, the toxic legacy of war in Ukraine comes into view. Instagram, Follow us on The justice department complaint does not directly specify that Denka should reduce its emissions to the 0.2 micrograms lifetime exposure recommendation, but cites the guidance throughout the complaint. If you have any questions call the DOJ Consolidated Debt Collection System (CDCS) Help Desk at 1-800-683-6567. Director: Chris Hebert, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation highest cancer risk rates caused by air pollution in the US, Pontchartrain Works facility in Reserve, Louisiana, enforcement action in the Cancer Alley region, during a site visit to Reserve in November 2021, were part of a years-long Guardian series. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. This complaint filed against Denka delivers on that promise.. The information you will enter will remain private. To set up payment arrangements, please contact ODR at 225-219-2188 or 844-330-6176. The facility is the only site in the US to emit the compound, which is a primary constituent of the synthetic rubber neoprene. Our suit aims to stop Denkas dangerous pollution.. The department will issue paper checks to all taxpayers submitting completed vouchers by the Oct. 6 deadline. In 2010, EPA published its peer-reviewed assessment of chloroprene that concluded that chloroprene is likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Approximately 20% of the total population living within two-and-a-half miles of Denka are children under the age of 18, and between about 800-1,000 are children under the age of five. In its complaint filed on Tuesday, the Justice Department also named Dupont as a party responsible for ensuring that the plant reduces its emissions of chloroprene, which has been linked to numerous cancers and diseases of the nervous, immune, and respiratory systems. Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. met, within 72 hours, LDR will notify and authorize the issuing state agencies to remove such liens. That 2021 test, which was not a formal study, found levels approximately four times above the EPAs recommended maximum annual average chloroprene concentration. The Department of Justice receives hundreds of legal questionsevery year from state and local authorities, resulting in opinions that carry significant weight in the legal community. Provides legal services to the statein the areas of consumer protection and environmental law, insurance receivership, and fair housing. EPA air monitoring around the facility has consistently shown readings well in excess of the recommended lifetime exposure limit of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter. Denkas facility, owned by a Japanese company of the same name, was previously a DuPont petrochemical plant. Follow us on The Justice Department's complaint was made under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act, which provides the EPA with the authority to address conditions that present "an imminent and substantial . What should I do if I believe I have paid this debt? Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. The Louisiana Department of Revenue provides for secured payment of returns through use of credit card vendors. Sure, some folks love to use the mail. Denka said in a statement that it has reduced emissions by about 85% since it took over the plant in 2015. Mallett earned her bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and her law degree from Loyola . Please enable cookies before continuing. The Justice Departments complaint was made under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act, which provides the EPA with the authority to address conditions that present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the publics health. Provides legal representation to the state, its departments and agencies, boards and commissions, and statewide elected officials. Justice.gov; News; Member Address Seat Information; Landry, Jeffrey M. "Jeff" U.S. Government information systems are provided for the processing of official U.S. Government information only. The air samples were taken at or across the street from a nearby elementary school. Its been a long time coming. The complaint, first reported by NBC News, was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District . Lock Sign In For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. These payments must be made to your U. S. District Court Clerks Office. Email: [email protected] Powered by Paystar Terms of Use| Privacy Policy| ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Please click here to see any active alerts. 36:703. Director: Sonia Mallett, Public Protection In such cases, please allow additional time, up to 6 days, for processing. Louisiana File Online allows taxpayers to: Taxpayers may also submit their returns using commercially available tax preparation software, or with printed state returns available at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/Forms. A locked padlock 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. The company has not moved far enough or fast enough to reduce emissions or ensure the safety of the surrounding community. payment processing to be completed within 3 or 4 business days of the transaction. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. The Civil Division issues written legal opinions to the governor, the state auditor, the state treasurer, state boards, agencies and commissions, the district attorneys of the state, and parish and municipal governing authorities. These payments must be made to your U. S. District Court Clerks Office. The lawyers and staff in our office work hard every day to defend our national security, improve the safety and quality of life in all our communities through enforcement of federal laws, and protect the public funds of the United States. WASHINGTON Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presents an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby majority-Black community and demanding . Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. This makes me feel like we have something to look forward to, not five or 10 years from now we need it to happen now.. In November 2021, EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited people living near the facility during his Journey to Justice tour, a survey of polluted communities across the south. On Tuesday, Regan said in a statement that the company had not moved far enough or fast enough on those requests. BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will resume full walk-in customer service for individual and business taxpayers in northeast Louisiana with the re-opening of the LDR Monroe Regional Office. If you have any questions call the DOJ Consolidated Debt Collection System (CDCS) Help Desk at 1-800-683-6567. The complaint asserts that the LaPlace plants operations present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and welfare due to the cancer risks from Denkas chloroprene emissions. EPA administrator gives update on commitment to curbing pollution in communities of color. Accepted Payment Methods: Bank account (ACH) Debit card Continue to the Form Preview Form Cancel Please use this form to make your Dept of Justice Civil Debt payments only. Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby majority-Black community and demanding cuts in toxic emissions. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. You may also email request to: ODRPaymentPlan@LA.Gov Be sure to include Name, Debtor # and a Call Back Number. BATON ROUGE The Louisiana Department of Revenue will begin accepting 2022 state individual income tax returns on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. The date coincides with the date the IRS begins accepting federal income tax returns. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. WELCOME to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. For returns submitted electronically, taxpayers due refunds can expect them within 45 days of the filing date. NOTE: Fees and fines imposed by the licensing agency that are applicable to the reinstatement of the suspended or revoked license/permit On Jan. 23, taxpayers can begin filing their state income tax returns electronically through Louisiana File Online, the states free web portal for individual tax filers. Denka Performance Elastomers manufactures neoprene at its chemical plant in Reserve, La. The plant is one of many that activists argue puts undue health risks on Black communities in the area. The parish sits along the Mississippi River just north of New Orleans in the states main industrial corridor, a region commonly known as Cancer Alley., This brings us hope, said Mary Hampton, president of the local advocacy group Concerned Citizens of St. John, which was founded in 2016. Maite Amorebieta is a senior investigative producer with the NBC News Investigative Unit. Approximately 1,200 children who attend East St. John High School, located roughly a mile-and-a-half north of Denka, are also exposed to the facilitys chloroprene emissions. As part of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 Grist moved its office headquarters to the Bullitt Center in Seattles vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood. On Tuesday, residents and advocates celebrated the news, describing it as justice long overdue. DPE is in compliance with its air permits and applicable law. So far, approximately 4,000 have responded to claim their refunds. Serves as legal advisor and legal representative to all Louisiana gaming regulatory agencies. Director: Angelique Freel, Criminal AG Jeff Landry: Be cautious of where you place your bets to ensure you protect your information, receive fair odds, and get paid when you win. Facebook, Follow us on Pursuant to LA R.S. Official websites use .gov Unveiled on Tuesday, the lawsuit alleges emissions at the Pontchartrain Works facility in Reserve, Louisiana, violate the Clean Air Act and present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and welfare. Walmart, Target, Home Depot lead pack of retailers emitting millions of pounds of CO2 through shipping, Georgians plead with state officials to protect the Okefenokee from mining. WASHINGTON - Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its . Denka Performance Elastomer LLC makes synthetic rubber, emitting the carcinogen chloroprene, in such high . St. Charles Parish Waterworks 301 Third Street Luling, LA 70070 985-783-5110 http://stcharlesparish-la.gov/ Need Help Paying? The Justice Departments environmental justice efforts require ensuring that every community, no matter its demographics, can breathe clean air and drink clean water. Provides legal representation to the State, its agencies, and its employees in all tort claims seeking damages and defends claims managed by the ORM or any post-secondary education institution granted an exemption from the States risk management program.
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