Environment
LSU research team identifying orphaned oil wells leaking methane
A team of researchers at LSU is taking on the thousands of orphaned oil wells in Louisiana to determine which are leaking methane into the atmosphere so they can be prioritized for plugging. There are more than 4,500 orphaned oil wells in Louisiana, according to a press release from the university, meaning they have been […]
New Orleans didn’t get new federal disaster resilience cash, but FEMA says that’s a good sign
Six areas in Louisiana were recently selected to potentially receive millions of dollars in additional federal funding to mitigate the effects of ecological disasters and climate change. New Orleans — Louisiana’s largest city and one the most disaster-prone in the United States — was not among them. But according to FEMA officials, that’s because billions […]
Renewable power expected to grow as Louisiana marks clean energy transition
Louisiana will soon mark the seventh annual National Clean Energy Week. While the state’s renewable power industry is slightly behind that of most other states, it is forecast to accelerate significantly over the coming years. According to a press release Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 25-29 as Clean Energy Week […]
$2 billion ammonia plant proposed for Ascension Parish
CF Industries announced Thursday it’s proposing a new $2 billion low-carbon ammonia production facility in Ascension Parish. According to a Louisiana Economic Development agency (LED) press release, CF Industries is evaluating the feasibility of constructing a low-carbon clean ammonia production plant at its Blue Point Complex. The company is already the world’s largest producer of […]
Company that reneged on 100 Jefferson Parish jobs still provides conflicting numbers
A fertilizer company that drew public backlash over the number of jobs it said it would bring to Jefferson Parish has corrected the number on its website. But it still claims it will pay an average salary of $120,000, a figure that differs drastically from paperwork the company filed with state officials. American Plant Food […]
Report faults EPA for not enforcing limits on toxic benzene emissions at oil refineries
The federal Environmental Protection Agency must do a better job ensuring that oil refineries that exceed emissions limits for benzene, a toxic, carcinogenic pollutant, cut those concentrations, the agency’s inspector general found. “Thirteen of the 118 refineries we reviewed had benzene concentrations above the action level in 20 or more weeks after the initial exceedance,” […]
Toxins from Marathon refinery fire leaked 15 hours before evacuation called
When St. John the Baptist Parish residents woke up on Friday, Aug. 25, they saw a plume of black smoke above the Marathon Petroleum refinery between Reserve and Garyville. Marathon told residents and parish officials that the fire started that morning around two tanks storing naphtha — a type of partially refined petroleum used as […]
Louisiana’s fortified roof grant program on track to exceed contractor, evaluator goals
The state has begun certifying local contractors and evaluators for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) that will provide grants to homeowners to help retrofit their roofs to withstand hurricane-force winds. As of Thursday, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has approved 13 of 21 evaluator applications and 35 of 57 contractor applications. With those approval […]
Tiger Island fire 71% contained, sheriff says
Lightning strikes Wednesday sparked new fires in a section of Beauregard Parish where a major conflagration has destroyed more than 30,000 acres of forested property, but Sheriff Mark Herford said the larger Tiger Island fire was at “71% containment” as of Thursday morning. Monitoring for hotspots continues but there has been no growth in the […]
Marathon Refinery fire illustrates how industry goes quiet during a crisis
Thick black smoke billowed and flames rose from two chemical storage tanks at the Marathon Petroleum refinery between Reserve and Garyville on Friday, Aug. 25. Geraldine Watkins saw the towers of smoke through the passenger seat window of a car that morning, while she was on her way to a court hearing about whether another […]
Was that chicken cutlet grown in a lab? These states want you to know.
Select U.S. restaurants have begun serving laboratory-grown chicken, spurring long wait times for reservations by diners curious to taste it. In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave final approval for a few California-based companies to begin selling lab-produced chicken across the country. While it may be years before lab-grown meat is available at grocery […]
Poor air quality from Louisiana wildfires could become more common
NEW ORLEANS — Jeff Parker stayed inside his St. Roch home as much as possible the last week of August, as people all around New Orleans reported smelling smoke in the air. Weather forecasts reported that smoke drifted into the city’s atmosphere from southwest Louisiana, where wildfires were scorching parts of Beauregard Parish. Air quality monitors […]