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 for failing to provide adequate space for the number of residents in attendance. It was a pleasant surprise to see the number of concerned residents show up, but disappointing to see many of them huddled around a television screen in the lobby to hear the meeting, if they hadn’t already left, Jordan told DEQ officials.