Louisiana Orders More Chemical Plant Monitoring

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) has ordered 16 companies—mostly chemical plants and refineries—in the Baton Rouge area to install air pollution monitoring stations on the perimeter of their plants, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reports. Six refineries and chemical manufacturers must also conduct comprehensive air emissions audits to quantify potential sources of ozone-causing pollutants, the state said. The efforts are due to the Baton Rouge area’s exceeding federal standards for ozone, which is formed by a reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides, and sunlight. The state believes the ozone exceedances result from small releases of highly reactive VOCs from these plants. The governor said she hopes the new monitoring efforts will lead to better control of air pollution in the area and help the state reach compliance with federal ozone standards, noting that ozone exceedances and the countermeasures called for are becoming an “economic and physical burden” on the area’s residents and businesses.