Director: Chris Hebert, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Employers / Post Job. Denkas facility is the only one in the country that makes neoprene, a type of synthetic rubber used for wetsuits and mousepads, a process which releases the carcinogen chloroprene. The EPAidentifiedchloroprene as a likely human carcinogen in 2010. Its been a long time coming. The re-opening of the office provides the area with a vital resource for the resolution of a wide range of state tax matters, in addition to any business they might have with the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, which will have staff assigned there.. The complaint, first reported by NBC News, was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for Eastern Louisiana on behalf of the EPA under the Clean Air Act. Box 94005 Baton Rouge, LA 708049005 (225) 326-6079. DuPont did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Director: Joe Picone, Litigation Note: This system may contain Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) data that requires specific data privacy handling. We need action now for our children and want this to be put in place immediately.. 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. The treasurer also serves as chairman of the State Bond Commission, which centralizes and administers state debt. 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. This action is not the first step we have taken to reduce risks to the people living in St John the Baptist Parish, and it will not be the last.. He not only waived any right to appeal, probation, or parole. The action raises the stakes in a longstanding conflict between the Louisiana plant, nearby residents and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Denka plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, is along a stretch of the Mississippi River that activists and residents have nicknamed Cancer Alley.. 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. Taxpayers can minimize delays in receiving their refunds by updating their contact information with LDR. Unauthorized or improper use of this information system is prohibited and may subject you to disciplinary action, as well as civil and criminal penalties. 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. The lawyers and staff in our office work hard every day to defend our national security, improve the safety and quality of life in all our communities through enforcement of federal laws, and protect the public funds of the United States. You may also email request to: ODRPaymentPlan@LA.Gov Be sure to include Name, Debtor # and a Call Back Number. 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. You must be signed in to submit this form. Contact: dcfs.louisiana.gov 627 N. Fourth St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.524.3578 About the Agency. On Jan. 23, taxpayers can begin filing their state income tax returns electronically through Louisiana File Online, the states free web portal for individual tax filers. Facebook, Follow us on But air monitors that the EPA set up around the facility continued to pick up concerning levels of the chemical. 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 . This action is not the first step we have taken to reduce risks to the people living in Saint John the Baptist Parish, and it will not be the last., We allege that Denkas emissions have led to unsafe concentrations of carcinogenic chloroprene near homes and schools in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. Create an Account 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. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at collectionsinfo@ag.louisiana.gov or by phone at 225-326-6550 or 1-800-423-2129. The Denka Performance Elastomer Plant in Louisiana. Twitter, Follow us on DuPont still owns the land beneath Denkas facility so is also named in the DOJ complaint. U.S. Government information systems are provided for the processing of official U.S. Government information only. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. To set up payment arrangements, please contact ODR at 225-219-2188 or 844-330-6176. 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. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. The lawsuit contains further details of the plants recent chloroprene emissions, which fell after Denka constructed emissions offset technology after its purchase of the plant, but still remains dangerously high and in some locations 14 times over the recommended exposure limit. EPA is finally treating this health crisis for what it isan emergency. What remains to be seen, she told Grist in an email, is how much and how fast it will be enforced. Instagram, Follow us on YouTube, Follow us on 0:00 / 3:50. This is a secure service provided by United States Department of the Treasury. 36:703. Twitter, Follow us on Eastern District of Louisiana Department of Justice ag.louisiana.gov 1885 N. Third St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225.326.6079 What should I do if I believe I have paid this debt? Email: ConstituentServices@ag.louisiana.gov. 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. Our mission is to protect and serve all residents of Southeast Louisiana through enforcement of the laws of the United States. A locked padlock Lock Denkas facility, owned by a Japanese company of the same name, was previously a DuPont petrochemical plant. 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. Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. The suit claims that emissions remain so high that a child breathing air near certain monitors around the facilitys fence line would exceed their lifetime excess cancer risk within two years. Director: Joe Picone More A lock ( This complaint filed against Denka delivers on that promise.. The date coincides with the date the IRS begins accepting federal income tax returns. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Director: Elise Cazes, Civil 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. Environmental lawyers and residents of St. John have petitioned state and federal authorities to do more to tamp down Denkas emissions for years. have been levied for prior non payment. Official websites use .gov NOTE: Fees and fines imposed by the licensing agency that are applicable to the reinstatement of the suspended or revoked license/permit WASHINGTON Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presents an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby majority-Black community and demanding . 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. Official websites use .gov An official website of the United States government. 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. Please enable cookies before continuing. Pursuant to LA R.S. The agency is now under a court order to get it done. Please use this form to make your Dept of Justice Civil Debt payments only. assistance. She also served as Executive Counsel to Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and practiced law with a Baton Rouge firm. Serves as legal advisor and legal representative to all Louisiana gaming regulatory agencies. for more information. Mary Hampton, another founder of Concerned Citizens of St John Parish, said the lawsuit was the culmination of years of advocacy from community members and represented that finally we have a little hope. Provides legal representation to the State, its agencies, and its employees in all tort claims seeking damages and defends claims managed by the ORM or any post-secondary education institution granted an exemption from the States risk management program. Last January, the environmental watchdog Earthjustice, on behalf of the local advocacy group Concerned Citizens of St. John and the Sierra Club, filed a civil rights complaint with the EPA against Louisianas health department and environmental agency for subjecting Black residents of St. John to disproportionate air pollution from numerous industrial facilities, including Denka. WASHINGTON - Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorney's 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 . USE OF THIS SYSTEM BY ANY USER, AUTHORIZED OR UNAUTHORIZED, CONSTITUTES YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND CONSENT TO THIS MONITORING, INTERCEPTION, RECORDING, READING, COPYING, OR CAPTURING AND DISCLOSURE. The move marks a significant escalation of the Biden administrations enforcement action in the Cancer Alley region, and was instantly hailed by members of the predominantly Black community around the plant as a major victory in their ongoing campaign for clean air. Facebook, Follow us on An official website of the United States treasurer also serves as chairman of the United States Government or. 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