HURRICANE UNIFIED COMMAND
Lafayette Parish


PRO"**
DEQ
1 nillSIANA^
fune 2006
Completion Report
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ATAGUNCE
16
Wastewater Facility
Assessments
54
Industiy Damage
Assessments
59
School Lab
Assessments
Since September 2005, the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana
Department of Environmental
Quality (LDEQ) have worked
together to address environ-
mental hazards from Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita to help Lafay-
ette Parish recover.
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 Lafayette Parish, 16
wastewater treatment plants were assessed for damage.
M
Lafayette Parish St. Martin
Assumption
St Mary
Next, EPA and LDEQ turned to hazardous waste storage, transfer
or disposal facilities. Throughout southern Louisiana facilities
were addressed, including 54 facilities in Lafayette 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 59 schools in Lafayette Parish.
Of the 59 schools assessed four were found to have laboratories.
The four 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 all
four schools.
Above: EPA inspecting a school for chemicals affected by the hurricane.
Right: EPA conducting a facility damage assessment.

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