Completion Report June 2006

Since September 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) have worked ogether to address environmental hazards from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help Acadia 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 water. In Acadia Parish, one wastewater treatment plant was assessed for damage.

Next, EPA and LDEQ turned to hazardous waste storage, transfer or disposal facilities. Throughout southern Louisiana facilities were addressed, including 11 facilities in Acadia Parish. The agencies conducted interviews and site visits to establish 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 36 schools in Acadia Parish. Of the 36 schools assessed 5 were found to have laboratories. The five laboratories housed chemical containers that were found to be damaged by the hurricanes, flood waters and/or heat exposure. EPA and LDEQ, in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and local fire departments, removed dangerous chemicals from four schools. At the fifth school, EPA and LDEQ ensured the chemicals were removed.