HURRICANE UNIFIED COMMAND Acadia Parish [une 2006 Acadia Parish Lafayette Assumption Vermilion Iberia ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT A GLANCE 1 Wastewater Facility Assessments Industty Damage Assessments One of EPA and LDEQ's first priorities was to ensure resi- dents returning to all the cities affected by the hurricanes had safe water. In Acadia Parish, one wastewater treatment plant was assessed for damage. Completion Report Left: EPA bulked hazardous materials for disposal. Right: EPA tested hazardous materials at a bulkingfaciiity. Since September 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisi- ana Department of Environ- mental Quality (LDEQ) have worked together to address environmental hazards from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help Acadia Parish recover. Next, EPA and LDEQ turned to hazardous waste storage, transfer or disposal facilities. Throughout southern Louisiana facilities were addressed, including 11 facilities in Acadia Parish. The agencies conducted interviews and site visits to establish that employees could return to work at facilities operating in accor- dance with federal and state regulations. Because of concerns that damaged chemicals in school biology and chemistry laboratories could cause a health hazard, EPA and LDEQ conducted assessments of 36 schools in Acadia Parish. Of the 36 schools assessed 5 were found to have laboratories. The five laboratories housed chemical containers that were found to be damaged by the hurricanes, flood waters and/or heat expo- sure. EPA and LDEQ, in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and local fire departments, removed dangerous chemicals from four schools. At the fifth school, EPA and LDEQ ensured the chemicals were removed. ------- |