Today the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued an emergency order effective for 60 days that suspends or modifies existing environmental requirements in many areas in order to facilitate response to Hurricane Katrina. The order applies in 25 parishes in the New Orleans to Baton Rouge area. Among the provisions are those waiving 24 hour notification of upsets under NPDES permits and establishing special discharge authorizations and requirements; authorization of repairs to solid waste facilities without prior approval of DEQ, although notice is required; special exemptions and reporting requirements for management of woodwaste, construction debris, animal carcasses, and asbestos; a waiver of the prohibition on open burning for management of hurricane generated waste, with conditions; authorization of air emissions due to minor repairs to previously permitted stationary sources subject to conditions; and extension of deadlines for some otherwise due reports, but not for Title V or PSD reports, reports due under settlement agreements and the like. A full copy of the order is available at the DEQ website http://www.ldeq.org/news/pdf/EmergencyDeclarations(2).pdf
