for more information. Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby majority-Black community and demanding cuts in toxic emissions. State of Louisiana Department of Justice c/o Constituent Services P. O. Its complicated. The Denka Performance Elastomer Plant in Louisiana. They know they can comply, Hampton said. Sonia Mallett has spent the majority of the last 25 years serving with the Louisiana Department of Justice. Powered by Paystar. Sure, some folks love to use the mail. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. Provides legal representation to the State, its agencies, and its employees in all tort claims seeking damages and defends claims managed by the ORM or any post-secondary education institution granted an exemption from the States risk management program. In the event that your payment takes over 6 days to post to your LDR account, please feel free to call our taxpayer services department for additional The treasurer also serves as chairman of the State Bond Commission, which centralizes and administers state debt. Emissions reductions at Denka has been one of our top priorities at LDEQ, and EPAis nowbuilding on the steps LDEQ took five years ago and our continuing efforts to reduce chloroprene emissions from the Denka facility, said LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown. She also served as Executive Counsel to Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and practiced law with a Baton Rouge firm. Director: Joe Picone, Litigation Oversees all departmentoperations. Can you tell if a bomb train is coming to your town? BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will resume full walk-in customer service for individual and business taxpayers in northeast Louisiana with the re-opening of the LDR Monroe Regional Office. Employers / Post Job. Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Provides follow-up investigation services for the Criminal Division; responds to requests for investigative assistance from government agencies, including the apprehension of fugitives; and provides investigative services in cyber crimes, white collar crimes, and public corruption. NOTE: Fees and fines imposed by the licensing agency that are applicable to the reinstatement of the suspended or revoked license/permit "This action is not the first step we have taken to reduce risks to the people living in Saint John the Baptist Parish, and it will not be the last.". USE OF THIS SYSTEM BY ANY USER, AUTHORIZED OR UNAUTHORIZED, CONSTITUTES YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND CONSENT TO THIS MONITORING, INTERCEPTION, RECORDING, READING, COPYING, OR CAPTURING AND DISCLOSURE. The date coincides with the date the IRS begins accepting federal income tax returns. PayStar Payment Portal PayStar Payment Portal 95 Louisiana Attorney General Louisiana Attorney General Educational Other Debt Revenue State Agency Cancel P.O. 1-877-297-0995 constituentservices@ag.louisiana.gov MENU Home About Divisions News Resources Collections Contact Search Protecting Innocence This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn't support. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. This makes me feel like we have something to look forward to, not five or 10 years from now we need it to happen now.. licenses and permits previously issued to taxpayers that have failed to meet their tax obligations. Design and build by Upstatement. Hampton urged both Denka and DuPont to comply with the federal governments demands set forth in the lawsuit. Here's How, When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility, Regan said. For returns submitted electronically, taxpayers due refunds can expect them within 45 days of the filing date. Chloroprene is a liquid raw material used to produce neoprene and is emitted into the air from various areas at the facility. Should you choose this option, you can expect Our mission is to protect and serve all residents of Southeast Louisiana through enforcement of the laws of the United States. "The company has not moved far enough or fast enough to reduce emissions or ensure the safety of the surrounding community," said Regan, who has been vocal about his commitment to environmental justice. In August, LDR sent Notice of Unclaimed Property letters to 20,400 individual and business taxpayers. DuPont is a necessary party to ensure there are no delays in any actions that Denka is ordered to take to reduce its chloroprene emissions as a result of the rights DuPont holds under its lease agreement with Denka. Denkas facility manufactures neoprene, a flexible, synthetic rubber used to produce common goods like wetsuits, beverage cozies, laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces, and automotive belts and hoses. New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. In particular, he expressed concern for the 300 students attending the nearby Fifth Ward Elementary School. In such cases, please allow additional time, up to 6 days, for processing. Next Cancel P.O. Approximately 1,200 children who attend East St. John High School, located roughly a mile-and-a-half north of Denka, are also exposed to the facilitys chloroprene emissions. Should funds be transmitted by these vendors Taxpayers can minimize delays in receiving their refunds by updating their contact information with LDR. When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility, said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. Denkas facility is the only one in the country that makes neoprene, a type of synthetic rubber used for wetsuits and mousepads, a process which releases the carcinogen chloroprene. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. YouTube. The department will issue paper checks to all taxpayers submitting completed vouchers by the Oct. 6 deadline. The Department of Justice is seeking to compel a chemical manufacturing plant to curb its emissions in a region where the estimated cancer risk is among the highest in the United States. DO NOT USE THIS FORM FOR CRIMINAL PAYMENTS. Serves as the principal liaison between the Attorney General's Office, the media, and the public. This will have a tremendous impact on our struggle here, said Robert Taylor, a founder of Concerned Citizens of St John Parish. The Justice Department's complaint was made under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act, which provides the EPA with the authority to address conditions that present "an imminent and substantial . The information you will enter will remain private. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber found in products such as wetsuits and adhesives. Facebook, Follow us on Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Eastern District of Louisiana Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. 2021 Recap Video. When I visited Saint John the Baptist Parish during my first Journey to Justice tour, I pledged to the community that EPA would take strong action to protect the health and safety of families from harmful chloroprene pollution from the Denka facility,, We allege that Denkas emissions have led to unsafe concentrations of carcinogenic chloroprene near homes and schools in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana,, Emissions reductions at Denka has been one of our top priorities at LDEQ, and EPAis nowbuilding on the steps LDEQ took five years ago and our continuing efforts to reduce chloroprene emissions from the Denka facility,, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). Please review our privacy policy Our suit aims to stop Denkas dangerous pollution.. The lawyers and staff in our office work hard every day to defend our national security, improve the safety and quality of life in all our communities through enforcement of federal laws, and protect the public funds of the United States. Facebook, Follow us on . A locked padlock In its statement, Denka said it strongly disagrees with the federal government's decision to file a legal complaint and with the EPA's assessment of the health risks the plant's emissions pose to the surrounding community. You may also email request to: ODRPaymentPlan@LA.Gov Be sure to include Name, Debtor # and a Call Back Number. EPA administrator gives update on commitment to curbing pollution in communities of color. Our mission is to protect and serve all residents of Southeast Louisiana through enforcement of the laws of the United States. WASHINGTON Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presents an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby majority-Black community and demanding . He not only waived any right to appeal, probation, or parole. This action is not the first step we have taken to reduce risks to the people living in St John the Baptist Parish, and it will not be the last.. Accepted Payment Methods: Bank account (ACH) Debit card Continue to the Form Preview Form Cancel An official website of the United States government. The complaint, first reported by NBC News, was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District . Children under the age of 16 are particularly vulnerable to mutagenic carcinogens like chloroprene. SBA Borrowers: View loan information or make a payment at the new MySBA site. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. But on-site inspections by the EPA in April and May 2022 found that Denkawas not meeting regulatory requirements for the storage and disposal of chloroprene waste, which contributes to emissions of chloroprene from the plant. These payments must be made to your U. S. District Court Clerks Office. Unveiled on Tuesday, the lawsuit alleges emissions at the Pontchartrain Works facility in Reserve, Louisiana, violate the Clean Air Act and present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and welfare. The EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights in part blames state agencies; In an October letter, it wrote that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Louisiana Department of Health's failure to pursue stronger action against Denka disproportionately exposed Black residents to harmful air pollutants. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources' SONRIS (Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System) tool provides data access (e.g., oil and gas information, coastal information), document access (e.g., Office of Conservation oil/gas production cards and field orders, Office of Mineral Resources lease records), GIS access (e.g . The US justice department has sued the two petrochemical giants behind a facility in Louisianas Cancer Alley responsible for the highest cancer risk rates caused by air pollution in the US in a major federal lawsuit that seeks to substantially curb the plants emissions. The Justice Departments complaint was made under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act, which provides the EPA with the authority to address conditions that present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the publics health. Every justice of the peace and constable is required to attend the Justices of the Peace Training course offered by the attorney general at least once every other year. The unavoidable closure of our Monroe office deprived taxpayers in northeast Louisiana of a convenient option for in-person customer service, Secretary of Revenue Kevin Richard said. Twitter, Follow us on An official website of the United States government. Twitter, Follow us on DuPont did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Louisiana Department of Revenue recently began a cooperative project with all other state agencies that provides for suspension and revocation of licenses and permits previously issued to taxpayers that have failed to meet their tax obligations. The suit claims that emissions remain so high that a child breathing air near certain monitors around the facilitys fence line would exceed their lifetime excess cancer risk within two years. Taxpayers using credits cards to pay outstanding balances due the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) must plan for additional transaction time if This complaint filed against Denka delivers on that promise.. For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-833-492-0097, or by email at community.louisianadoc@usdoj.gov. Your Address, Corporation Income/Franchise Extension Request, File returns and pay taxes electronically, Check the status of individual income tax refunds, Submitting completed state individual income tax returns and making payments (staff cannot assist with the completion of tax returns), ATC/Video Poker/Lottery/Drivers License/Wildlife & Fisheries tax clearances, Resolving bank levies and wage garnishments. The Fifth Ward elementary school and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka plant, back left, in Reserve, Louisiana. Executive Department: Louisiana Public Defender Board: Darrilyn Favorite: Karen Smith: 124: 01-124: Executive Department: Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District: Darrilyn Favorite: Karen Smith: 129: 01-129: Executive Department: Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement & Administration of Criminal Justice: Emily VanNatta: Karen Smith: 130: 03 . Lock WASHINGTON Today, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to compel Denka to significantly reduce hazardous chloroprene emissions from its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Its litigation reflects the diversity of government activities, involving, for example, the defense of challenges to state programs, actions and laws; debt collection owed to the state; and protection of the state's natural resources, lands and water . According to EPA calculations in the suit, current chloroprene emissions present a risk that is especially grave for infants and children under the age of 16. System personnel may give to law enforcement officials any potential evidence of crime found on U.S. Government information systems. For ACH transactions, a state charge of $2.00 will be added to your invoice in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 49:316.1. And either they use their money and do it right or face the power of the EPA., Cancer and chemicals in Reserve, Louisiana: the science explained, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The office, closed in 2012 due to state budget cuts, will re-open on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. If you have any questions regarding TEFRAs, Contracts, or Resolutions - you may contact Michelle Boutte at bouttem@ag.louisiana.gov or Monica Reed at reedm@ag.louisiana.gov. If you received one of the letters but havent responded yet, simply complete and return the attached voucher to LDR. The Civil Division issues written legal opinions to the governor, the state auditor, the state treasurer, state boards, agencies and commissions, the district attorneys of the state, and parish and municipal governing authorities. Louisiana File Online allows taxpayers to: Taxpayers may also submit their returns using commercially available tax preparation software, or with printed state returns available at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/Forms. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Deena Tumeh, an attorney at the environmental watchdog Earthjustice, said in a statement that the complaint is a long-awaited answer to the communitys repeated calls for immediate action. Even when Denka's facility was shut down for a month in September 2021 after Hurricane Ida, a small monitoring demonstration test by the Louisiana State University School of Public Health revealed detectable levels of chloroprene in two out of 10 air samples, according to the researchers. 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