St. Bernard Parish petroleum coke processing plant officials on Wednesday admitted that they are responsible for the lions share of the sulphur dioxide emissions in the area. The frank announcement from Rain CIIs Chalmette plant manager and its corporate, Texas-based environmental, safety and health director comes a month after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told Gov. Bobby Jindal that it intends to formally designate St. Bernard as being out of compliance with federal sulphur dioxide health standards. Both Jimmy Delaneuville, the plant manager, and Larry Minton, the corporate director, explained that despite the emissions, they are not over their permit rates. Thats largely because the state Department of Environmental Quality has not yet changed Rain CII's permits since the new federal hourly sulphur dioxide standards were put in place in 2010.
Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley blogs at Your Right Hand Thief. Until mid 2014, Mark Moseley was The Lens' opinion writer, engagement specialist and coordinator for the Charter Schools Reporting Corps. After Katrina and... More by Mark Moseley