Liz Reinhardt Delsa was driving home from the airport on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on June 16 when she heard what she thought was heavy rain hitting her windshield. But instead of sliding off as water droplets normally do, the rain seemed to stick. That’s when she realized: “It was bugs,” she said. A swarm […]
Fishermen pull up dead and dying oysters
Ryan Guerra drags an oyster dredge along a lease 40 miles east of the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Bernard Parish. He finds the vast majority of his oysters are dead. The few that’s alive right now, they’re dying in the shell,” said the 43-year-old Guerra, who has been fishing these waters for a quarter […]
Debate Continues on Lousiana House Bill 615
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – In April, Cornerstone Chemical Company on the West Bank reported a spill of 3,600 gallons of sulfuric acid. The spill left one employee injured, and the company worked to neutralize the spill. However, environmentalists fear House Bill 615 would allow companies to handle incidents like these outside the public eye. Attorney […]
Louisiana tribe protects historic sites with oyster shells
A wall of oyster shells has been erected near Montegut to protect historical Native American mounds threatened by erosion and sea level rise. The partially-submerged wall was completed this month by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and more than 100 volunteers. They spent weeks hauling and placing about 200 tons of shells gathered from […]
Judge: Louisiana officials must look anew at Port Allen industrial recycling plant application
A judge has paused — at least for the time being — construction of an industrial recycling facility in Port Allen where residents have raised concerns about toxic chemicals. The company Thermaldyne provided a “deficiency” of information when it applied for a permit with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality last year, 19th Judicial District Judge […]
Doing Something About Oil Spills
It is our sad reality that wells and pipelines seem to spill oil in Louisiana every few months. Many of you have asked what can be done, particularly in Hilcorp’s December spill in Lake Grand Ecaille. We spoke about the problem of proving where the oil went and what damage it would cause, and promised […]
2018 Staff Christmas Party
Waltzer Wiygul & Garside Moves Westbank Office To New Location
Waltzer Wiygul & Garside recently moved its office from 1000 Behrman Hwy. to a new location on the Westbank of New Orleans. The new office is located at the following address: 3201 General DeGaulle Drive, Suite 200 New Orleans, LA 70114 Please note the new address when visiting and update your contacts with the new […]
Residents oppose Thermaldyne variance
Residents packed the West Baton Rouge Parish Council chambers to oppose the variance requested by Thermaldyne, an environmental services firm that recently completed a $50 million facility on North Line Road in Port Allen, during a public hearing hosted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) Thursday, Sept. 20. Rep. Edmond Jordan criticized LDEQ […]
LDEQ holds public hearing on proposed waste recycling facility
PORT ALLEN — The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will host a public hearing Thursday regarding a permit request from an environmental services firm building a $50 million industrial waste reclamation plant in Port Allen. The Louisiana Environmental Action Network says Thermaldyne’s request for a feedstock variance is an attempt to bypass federal and state mandates […]