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News and Activities
EPA Praises Service's Participation in Calcasieu Estuary Date Posted: December 22, 1999 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of initiating an investigation of the sediments in the Calcasieu Estuary (Estuary) in Louisiana. The area around the Estuary is highly industrialized. Several petrochemical and agrochemical plants manufacture and process products as diverse as petroleum, synthetic rubber, chlorine, and teflon. Both organic and inorganic compounds have been documented or observed being released into the Estuary. The purpose of the investigation is to evaluate the level of sediment contamination in the Estuary and to determine what potential risks are posed to human health and the environment by exposure to the sediments. This information will then be used to develop and evaluate clean up alternatives. In a recent information bulletin on the Calcasieu Estuary, EPA highlighted the coordination between EPA and the Service:"EPA Region 6, through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has facilitated unprecedented participation of the USFWS in Superfund processes to encourage more efficient and cost effective remedial actions. [US]FWS currently has personnel in the EPA Region 6 office in Dallas (Dan Wall) and [US]FWS Lafayette field office (Paul Conzelmann) who are closely involved in EPA activities in the Calcasieu Estuary. USFWS will continue to provide technical expertise, site knowledge and logistical support for all aspects of the ecological characterization of the area. [US]FWS participation, in conjunction with the public and other state and federal agencies, will help insure that appropriate environmental concerns are addressed and that the ecological resources of the Calcasieu Estuary are protected."
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