COMPLETION REPORT

Since September 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) have worked together to address environmental hazards from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help St. Charles Parish recover.

One of EPA and LDEQ's first priorities was to ensure residents returning to all the cities affected by the hurricanes had safe drinking water. In St. Charles Parish, 2 assessments were conducted at drinking water facilities. Similarly, 41 wastewater treatment plants were assessed for damage.

Next, EPA and LDEQ turned to federally-permitted facilities. The agencies conducted interviews and site visits at hazardous waste storage, transfer or disposal facilities through March 2006. During this time, facilities in southern Louisiana were addressed, including 25 facilities in St. Charles Parish. The site visits and interviews established that employees could return to work at facilities operating in accordance with federal and state regulations.

Because of concerns that damaged chemicals in school biology and chemistry laboratories could cause a health hazard, EPA and LDEQ conducted assessments of 21 schools in St. Charles Parish. Some chemical containers were found to be damaged by the hurricanes, by flood waters and/or from heat exposure. EPA and LDEQ, in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and local fire departments, removed dangerous chemicals from 6 schools. At the seventh school, the chemicals were removed by a private contractor hired by the schools.

Not only were there dangerous chemicals present in the schools, but also throughout the communities. Thirty-nine hazardous materials containers were collected and disposed in landfills designed to handle them safely.