Posted 4:50 PM by melanie

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(Let me go into what CC Lockdown is; CC stands for chemical corridor and if you live within it's bounds and there is a spill or leak at the local plants, you are told to go inside your home, turn off air conditioning, close your windows, and stop up any holes under your door, and don’t come out again until the all clear. Well, a lot of people don’t get warned (like my friend) and their homes are drafty, old, and in need of repairs, and telling people to go inside and lock their doors, reminds me of the old civil defense films of people hiding under their tables for a nuclear blast. It doesn’t help. )

CC Lockdown's continued: Taken from the classified section of today's Baton Rouge Advocate (conveniently hidden in the public notices section)


DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY - - - Department of Environmental Quality Office of Environmental Assessment Environmental Planning Division Unauthorized Emissions Reporting Procedures (LAC 33:I.3931) (OS052E) In accordance with the emergency provisions of La. R.S. 49:953(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows the Department of Environmental Quality ("Department") to use emergency procedures to establish rules, and La. R.S. 30:2011, the secretary of the Department hereby finds that imminent peril to the public welfare exists and accordingly adopts the following emergency rule, which shall be effective seven days after the date of adoption for 120 days, or until promulgation of the final rule, whichever occurs first. In the last two years, the Baton Rouge Nonattainment Area (the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge) has experienced exceedances of the one-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). These exceedances did not occur during circumstances that typically result in excessive ozone formation and led to ozone readings the Baton Rouge area has not experienced in a decade. The ozone readings for two separate episodes in September 2002 and July 2003 were 164 parts per billion (ppb) and 174 ppb respectively, over 30 percent above the standard. Monitoring results from these exceedances indicate a high rate and efficiency of ozone production, which was limited spatially to the immediate Baton Rouge area. These ozone episodes correspond very well to the kind of episodes that have occurred in the Houston/ Galveston areas. The Texas Air Quality Study, conducted in the Houston/Galveston areas, concluded that the reactivity of the hydrocarbons was most often dominated by low molecular weight alkenes and aromatics resulting in explosive ozone formation. Air quality sampling in the Baton Rouge area also showed substantial quantities of the mentioned ozone precursors. The ozone formation experienced in the Baton Rouge area may similarly be the result of the emissions of "highly reactive" ozone precursors. The Department needs additional information regarding the emissions of these highly reactive ozone precursors to understand, predict, and prevent further exceedances of the ozone standard. Results from computer simulations based on Houston's industrial regions suggest emissions of as little as 100 pounds of light alkenes and aromatics can lead to 50 ppb or greater enhancements of ozone concentrations. Baton Rouge's type of industry (petrochemical plants and refineries) and meteorological conditions are similar enough to Houston to warrant further investigation. This information is needed immediately to monitor the remainder of the 2003 ozone season in the hopes of achieving attainment of the standard. Facilities are to continue to follow the LAC 33:I.Chapter 39 reporting protocols and, whenever possible, to utilize the new notification procedures found at http://www.deq.state.la.us/surveillance/irf/forms and http://www.deq.state.la.us/surveillance. This Emergency Rule is effective on August 12, 2003, and shall remain in effect for a maximum of 120 days or until a final rule is promulgated, whichever occurs first. For more information concerning OS052E, you may contact the Regulation Development Section at (225) 219-3550. Adopted this 5th day August, 2003. L. HALL BOHLINGER Secretary 2670385-aug 9-1t