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Waste Site Reports: Louisiana
NOAA trust species in Louisiana include blue crab, brown, pink, and white shrimp. Finfish species that support commercial or recreational fisheries include speckled trout, red drum, black drum, Atlantic croaker, flounder, Gulf menhaden, snappers, grouper, king and Spanish mackerels. Brown shrimp comprise 60-70% of all shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico each year. The Gulf menhaden fishery comprises the largest tonnage fishery in the U.S.
Areas of Special Concern in Louisiana
NOAA RRC program works to protect and restore natural resources throughout coastal Louisiana. However, the Calcasieu River estuary is of special concern due to its status as a highly productive estuarine habitat that supports many NOAA trust resource species and the severity of the contamination found there. Hazardous substance contamination has resulted in the issuance of closures and advisories against the consumption of fish and shellfish, as well as swimming. Additionally, commercial fishing has historically been banned in portions of the estuary due to this contamination.
NOAA has provided valuable assistance to EPA and local governments in reviewing and revising ecological risk work plans and providing input in determining best methods to expedite ecological risk assessment and cleanup actions. NOAA is working with EPA, Louisiana, and several industries to develop a coordinated approach to comprehensively address hazardous substance contamination in the Calcasieu Estuary and to resolve natural resource liability. Additionally, NOAA, in cooperation with EPA and industry, is assembling available contamination sampling data into a comprehensive database and mapping program for the estuary. This database will be invaluable in determining areas that need further investigation and for promoting consensus on remedial strategies necessary to the cleanup process.
Waste Site Reports
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- LA: Delatte Metals (Reviewed 2002); CERCLIS No.= LAD052510344
(Document format: PDF, size: 1.4 M)
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Other pages in this series
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