Environment
Crowd size forces Louisiana DEQ to postpone hearing on proposed St. Charles ammonia plant
ST. ROSE — After a crush of about 200 St. Charles Parish residents showed up to protest a massive proposed ammonia plant Thursday night, a state agency was forced to shut down the meeting because the room could only hold 60. “I am grateful to our residents here in St. Rose that they care enough […]
Solar ‘lighthouse’ project underwent first real test in Hurricane Francine
LAPLACE — An ongoing experiment to use solar-powered community “lighthouse” hubs as reliable sources of energy and refuge during blackouts passed its first real-world test this month with Hurricane Francine. The Category 2 storm struck the coast of Terrebonne Parish on Sept. 11 and knocked out power to nearly a half-million customers statewide. The following […]
Thousands of U.S. dams hangs in the balance, leaving rural communities with hard choices
VIROQUA, Wisconsin – Sheldon Auto Wrecking is a local institution in southwestern Wisconsin’s Vernon County. It’s tucked in a lush valley just downstream of a 50-foot earthen dam, locally known as “Maple Dale.” The salvage yard, which buys used vehicles and farm machinery in this rural area to sell for parts, has been in business […]
Unlikely alliance forms to boost community air monitoring in Louisiana
A bulk liquid storage facility in southeast Louisiana and a local environmental group are partnering to create a neighborhood air quality monitoring system. International-Matex Tank Terminals announced plans Thursday to install four new stationary air monitors in St. Rose, Louisiana. The company’s main 216-tank storage facility is near a majority Black neighborhood in St. Rose […]
U.S. House votes to repeal Biden auto emissions rule
The U.S. House voted, 215-191, on Friday to roll back an Environmental Protection Agency rule strengthening standards for air pollution from car and truck tailpipes. Eight Democrats joined all but one Republican present in voting to approve a resolution under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to undo certain executive branch rules, to disapprove […]
Mississippi River mayors agree to unify ports from the Corn Belt to the coast
Mayors from 10 states along the Mississippi River convened in Louisiana’s capital this week to announce a cooperative agreement among the working river’s ports. In town for the annual Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) meeting, the mayors also called upon the next U.S. President to prioritize several federal policy changes to support the […]
Louisiana utility regulators award long-awaited energy efficiency contract
State utility regulators have awarded a contract to a local company to administer Louisiana’s new statewide energy efficiency program, meant to cut down on power waste and ultimately save customers money. Even though it’s taken more than a decade for the Louisiana Public Service Commission to strike the deal, there was still debate about starting […]
As dollars dry up for Louisiana’s coastal restoration, advocates strategize to sustain it
Louisiana’s desperate efforts to restore and protect its diminishing coastline from further erosion over the past decade has been largely funded by the more than $8 billion in settlement money awarded to the state after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But that money is drying up as the state continues to lose approximately a […]
Company plans to turn garbage and wood into biofuels at $1.35 billion Louisiana plant
A Toronto-based energy company announced plans Tuesday for a new facility in Louisiana that would burn wood and garbage to produce what it considers “renewable” biofuels, though some critics question their sustainability. Woodland Biofuels Inc., announced a planned $1.35 billion investment at the Port of South Louisiana in St. John the Baptist Parish to establish […]
Readers React: LNG terminal treats neighbors as a sacrifice zone
With regards to “Fishermen, environmental groups fight massive LNG terminal in court,” by Pam Radtke, Floodlight News, Sept. 9, 2024. Let’s call the Calcasieu Pass 2 terminal what it is: another toxic threat to Louisiana’s people and environment. As a native of New Orleans and an advocate for environmental justice, I’m deeply concerned about the […]
Saltwater intrusion on Mississippi River requires another sill to protect drinking water
Construction has begun on a saltwater sill near Myrtle Grove to help mitigate the effects of saltwater intrusion up the Mississippi River.
A turtle and its advocates could stand in the way of a huge Pearl River engineering project
TYLERTOWN, Miss. — On a clear, hot summer afternoon along the Bogue Chitto creek at Walker’s Bridge Water Park in southern Mississippi, Noah Devros dives into the murky water with a flashlight and cheap plastic dive mask. He emerges holding a small turtle. Devros is a graduate student and researcher from the University of Southern […]