Concerns raised over bill on Louisiana air pollution monitoring. EPA says may conflict with law.

A bill heading toward final approval in the state Legislature that would define how data from community air-monitoring programs can be used has drawn concern from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and activists seeking to reduce pollution from Louisiana’s petrochemical plants.

The Senate could give final legislative approval Monday to the bill that the EPA says may conflict with federal law. Environmental activists in Louisiana have been conducting community monitoring for years, but a recent influx of federal grant money for those efforts has brought renewed focus and resources to it.

Sen. Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales, is sponsoring Senate bill 503, which has gone through a series of amendments since first being proposed. The Senate is scheduled to take up the latest version of the bill on Monday, with the House having already given its approval.

Lambert said the guidelines are meant to guard against inaccurate or manipulated data being used to levy fines against companies. His district includes parishes where such plants serve as their “economic engine,” and he sees no problem with requiring community monitors be held to EPA-approved standards.

The EPA has however said the bill could improperly limit “credible evidence” of pollution violations. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s chief of staff, Stacey Holley, said the agency does not comment on pending legislation.

The bill comes with the EPA under the Biden administration having repeatedly highlighted industrial pollution in Louisiana, especially in the part of the state activists refer to as “Cancer Alley,” the heavily industrialized corridor along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan has visited the area twice, and last month he singled it out when announcing new restrictions for certain industrial pollutants in a bid to reduce cancer risks.

Last year, the EPA announced the state DEQ and environmental activist group LEAN would share in a $1 million grant to buy mobile air monitoring vehicles. Community air monitoring is intended to supplement the state’s roughly 40 monitoring sites, which activists have long called insufficient.

The state’s chemical industry supports Lambert’s bill, saying it will create standards for community air monitoring and basic criteria for the results produced. But a letter from the EPA issued at the request of state Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, raises red flags.

“To the extent that (the bill) purports to limit the use of community monitoring data that the EPA and LDEQ would deem to be credible evidence for Clean Air Act compliance demonstrations or Clean Air Act enforcement, the bill would be inconsistent with federal law,” said the letter from Earthea Nance, administrator for EPA’s region 6, which includes Louisiana.

Asked whether the EPA’s view had changed since the bill’s amendments, a spokesperson said “our position remains the same.”

The bill sets out specifications for when community monitoring data can be used to determine if industry is in violation of air pollution rules. It says “data produced from community air monitoring programs alone is insufficient to demonstrate a stationary source is in violation of rule, regulation, or permit condition.”

Community monitoring must use standards set out in federal law and EPA-approved monitoring methods in order to show industry violations, it says.

The EPA says the bill may “preclude the use of any credible evidence to determine compliance under the Clean Air Act.”

The Louisiana Chemical Association argues that the bill simply seeks to lay out uniform guidelines, saying “these are the same standards a facility must meet when it complies with air monitoring requirements under their approved permits.”

“By using standards set by the EPA and LDEQ it ensures that data gathered will be scientifically based and data collected meets basic criteria,” LCA head Greg Bowser said in a statement.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses the issue of pollution from Louisiana’s petrochemical plants, which has implications for public health and well-being (SDG 3). It also highlights the industrial pollution in the region known as “Cancer Alley,” which relates to sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). The bill mentioned in the article aims to define how data from community air-monitoring programs can be used, which is relevant to responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) and climate action (SDG 13). Additionally, the involvement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and concerns about the bill’s impact on credible evidence and compliance with federal law touch upon peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water, and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.

Based on the issues discussed in the article, these specific targets are relevant. They focus on reducing deaths and illnesses from pollution, improving air quality in cities, managing chemicals and wastes responsibly, integrating climate change measures into policies, and promoting inclusive decision-making.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Number of deaths and illnesses related to hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution (Target 3.9)
• Air quality in cities (Target 11.6)
• Management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle (Target 12.4)
• Inclusion of climate change measures in national policies and planning (Target 13.2)
• Level of responsiveness, inclusivity, and participation in decision-making processes (Target 16.7)

These indicators can be used to assess the progress made in addressing the issues discussed in the article.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Fuente: nola.com

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