Denkas facility, owned by a Japanese company of the same name, was previously a DuPont petrochemical plant. 0:00 / 3:50. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. BATON ROUGE The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will resume full walk-in customer service for individual and business taxpayers in northeast Louisiana with the re-opening of the LDR Monroe Regional Office. Louisiana Department of Justice 176 followers 3w Today, Dennis Perkins admitted to his despicable crimes and pled guilty in court. If you have moved or changed your name since your last tax filing, update your contact information at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/AddressChange. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Jan. 27, 202206:15. We noticed your internet browser is not supported. The agency is now under a court order to get it done. So far, approximately 4,000 have responded to claim their refunds. Facebook, Follow us on According to EPA calculations, emissions from the former DuPont plant, now owned by Denka, present a risk that is especially grave for children. Louisianas Department of Environmental Quality reached an agreement with Denka requiring the company to install pollution controls in 2017. Our suit aims to stop Denkas dangerous pollution.. Disaster Fraud Hotline: Report fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, Felon Sentenced to 65 Months for Federal Gun Charge, Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine, Dr. Charles J. Southall, III Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Money Laundering, Obtaining Over $889,000 Through Fraud, New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Carjacking, and Weapons Violations, Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry. Approximately 1,200 children who attend East St. John High School, located roughly a mile-and-a-half north of Denka, are also exposed to the facilitys chloroprene emissions. Eastern District of Louisiana Deena Tumeh, an attorney at the environmental watchdog Earthjustice, said in a statement that the complaint is a long-awaited answer to the communitys repeated calls for immediate action. A locked padlock The Monroe Regional Office will be open for walk-in customer service Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., no appointments needed. Over the years, Denka has committed to taking steps to reduce the plant's emissions. Once taxpayer obligations are But air monitors that the EPA set up around the facility continued to pick up concerning levels of the chemical. In a statement Tuesday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the Justice Department's move followed his pledge to take strong action for communities living near the plant. The company has not moved far enough or fast enough to reduce emissions or ensure the safety of the surrounding community. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility,, We allege that Denkas emissions have led to unsafe concentrations of carcinogenic chloroprene near homes and schools in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana,, Emissions reductions at Denka has been one of our top priorities at LDEQ, and EPAis nowbuilding on the steps LDEQ took five years ago and our continuing efforts to reduce chloroprene emissions from the Denka facility,, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). "The company has not moved far enough or fast enough to reduce emissions or ensure the safety of the surrounding community," said Regan, who has been vocal about his commitment to environmental justice. She also served as Executive Counsel to Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and practiced law with a Baton Rouge firm. Denkas facility manufactures neoprene, a flexible, synthetic rubber used to produce common goods like wetsuits, beverage cozies, laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces, and automotive belts and hoses. & authorize PayStar to process this payment along with the service fee of $0.00 which will also be charged to the credit/debit card. Should funds be transmitted by these vendors Suing on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the justice department is now seeking a federal court order to compel Denka (DPE), the Japanese chemical giant operating the facility, to immediately take all necessary measures to curb emissions of the compound chloroprene, labeled by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen. The Justice Departments complaint was made under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act, which provides the EPA with the authority to address conditions that present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the publics health. Follow us on The complaint asserts that the LaPlace plants operations present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and welfare due to the cancer risks from Denkas chloroprene emissions. That 2021 test, which was not a formal study, found levels approximately four times above the EPAs recommended maximum annual average chloroprene concentration. The remaining approximately $9.5 million in funds will be transferred by law to the Unclaimed Property Division of the state treasurers office later this month if not claimed by Oct. 6. Please enable cookies before continuing. The EPAidentifiedchloroprene as a likely human carcinogen in 2010. Even when Denka's facility was shut down for a month in September 2021 after Hurricane Ida, a small monitoring demonstration test by the Louisiana State University School of Public Health revealed detectable levels of chloroprene in two out of 10 air samples, according to the researchers. The Department of Justice is seeking to compel a chemical manufacturing plant to curb its emissions in a region where the estimated cancer risk is among the highest in the United States. In the event that your payment takes over 6 days to post to your LDR account, please feel free to call our taxpayer services department for additional Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Louisiana File Online allows taxpayers to: Taxpayers may also submit their returns using commercially available tax preparation software, or with printed state returns available at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/Forms. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Denka Performance Elastomer, a synthetic rubber manufacturing plant owned by a Japanese company of the same name, is located half a mile from an elementary school in St. John the Baptist Parish, where the air is laced with toxic chemicals emitted by dozens of different industrial facilities and more than 60 percent of residents are Black. 36:703. EPA air monitoring around the facility has consistently shown readings well in excess of the recommended lifetime exposure limit of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter. The company added that it "remains committed to identifying and implementing additional emission reductions where possible.". Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will resume full walk-in customer service for individual and business taxpayers in northeast Louisiana with the re-opening of the LDR Monroe Regional Office. EPA is taking an unprecedented step deviating from its permitting and rulemaking authorities to allege an emergency based on outdated and erroneous science the agency released over 12 years ago, the statement said. In the aggregate, the thousands of people breathing this air are incurring a significantly higher cancer risk than would be typically allowed, and they are being exposed to a much greater cancer risk from Denkas air pollution than the majority of United States residents face, the suit states. You have accessed a U.S. Government information system, which includes (1) this computer, (2) this network, (3) all computers connected to this network, and (4) all devices and storage media attached to this network or to a computer on this network. In a statement, associate attorney general Vanita Gupta said: The justice departments environmental justice efforts require ensuring that every community, no matter its demographics, can breathe clean air and drink clean water. The Civil Division issues written legal opinions to the governor, the state auditor, the state treasurer, state boards, agencies and commissions, the district attorneys of the state, and parish and municipal governing authorities. DuPont remains the owner of the land beneath Denkas facility and acts as a landlord, according to the complaint, meaning DuPont may need to grant permissions in order for emissions to be reduced. BATON ROUGE The Louisiana Department of Revenue will begin accepting 2022 state individual income tax returns on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Serves as the principal liaison between the Attorney General's Office, the media, and the public. This complaint seeks to compel Denka to eliminate the public health endangerment caused by its emissions by greatly reducing the levels of chloroprene to which this community is being exposed. Be the first to find out about the latest legal news, updates, tips, and other information. 49:251.1, the Department of Justice has provided training for Louisiana's justices of the peace and constables each year since 1972. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Biden administration sued a chemical company operating in southeast Louisiana on Tuesday, compelling it to face up to the cancer risk generated by its toxic emissions, a move that activists have been demanding for years. Email: [email protected] Powered by Paystar Terms of Use| Privacy Policy| When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility, said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at community.louisianadoc@usdoj.gov. Director: Elise Cazes, Civil According to EPA calculations in the suit, current chloroprene emissions present a risk that is especially grave for infants and children under the age of 16. The parish sits along the Mississippi River just north of New Orleans in the states main industrial corridor, a region commonly known as Cancer Alley., This brings us hope, said Mary Hampton, president of the local advocacy group Concerned Citizens of St. John, which was founded in 2016. Director: Sonia Mallett, Public Protection A locked padlock Denka Performance Elastomer LLC makes synthetic rubber, emitting the carcinogen chloroprene, in such high . You may also email request to: ODRPaymentPlan@LA.Gov Be sure to include Name, Debtor # and a Call Back Number. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services works to keep children safe, helps individuals and families become self-sufficient and operates shelters during disasters. We need action now for our children and want this to be put in place immediately.. The US justice department has sued the two petrochemical giants behind a facility in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" responsible for the highest cancer risk rates caused by air pollution in the . Provides legal representation to the state, its departments and agencies, boards and commissions, and statewide elected officials. For those folks who prefer to take advantage of current technology, this is a quick, convenient, and secure 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1600 Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. Oversees all departmentoperations. Director: Joe Picone, Litigation EPA administrator gives update on commitment to curbing pollution in communities of color. Environmental lawyers and residents of St. John have petitioned state and federal authorities to do more to tamp down Denkas emissions for years. Reader support helps sustain our work. A lock ( But on-site inspections by the EPA in April and May 2022 found that Denkawas not meeting regulatory requirements for the storage and disposal of chloroprene waste, which contributes to emissions of chloroprene from the plant. Official websites use .gov Emissions reductions at Denka has been one of our top priorities at LDEQ, and EPAis nowbuilding on the steps LDEQ took five years ago and our continuing efforts to reduce chloroprene emissions from the Denka facility, said LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown. WASHINGTON Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Department of Justice ag.louisiana.gov 1885 N. Third St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.326.6079 DuPont is a necessary party to ensure there are no delays in any actions that Denka is ordered to take to reduce its chloroprene emissions as a result of the rights DuPont holds under its lease agreement with Denka. Lock licenses and permits previously issued to taxpayers that have failed to meet their tax obligations. Here's How, When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility, Regan said. The EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights in part blames state agencies; In an October letter, it wrote that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Louisiana Department of Health's failure to pursue stronger action against Denka disproportionately exposed Black residents to harmful air pollutants. The EPA said it found during an investigation that state agencies had failed to provide residents with information about the cancer risks associated with chloroprene levels in the area, among other problems. Sign In Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. In its statement, Denka said it strongly disagrees with the federal government's decision to file a legal complaint and with the EPA's assessment of the health risks the plant's emissions pose to the surrounding community. If you have any questions call the DOJ Consolidated Debt Collection System (CDCS) Help Desk at 1-800-683-6567. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources' SONRIS (Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System) tool provides data access (e.g., oil and gas information, coastal information), document access (e.g., Office of Conservation oil/gas production cards and field orders, Office of Mineral Resources lease records), GIS access (e.g . 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