Alright, let's dive into this Louisiana mess, shall we? Another day, another environmental disaster, and another landfill conveniently getting an "emergency" permit. This time it's River Birch, hoovering up waste from the Smitty's Supply fire in Roseland. Millions of gallons of oily, petrochemical-laced water, and guess where some of it ends up? In Avondale, thanks to a fast-tracked permit exemption from the LDEQ. Oily waste from Smitty’s Supply disaster sent to Jefferson Parish landfill - Louisiana Illuminator.
Smitty's Supply, the company that started this whole shebang, is already swimming in lawsuits from the state, the EPA, and some understandably pissed-off farmer who can't raise livestock on his land anymore. Fines could hit a billion dollars. A billion! You'd think they'd be extra careful, but offcourse not.
And then there's River Birch. They swear they ain't using their injection wells for the Smitty's Supply sludge, even though their permit allows them to inject liquid waste statewide. Right. Because corporations never stretch the truth when it comes to environmental regulations. Their website boasts about their wells being 6,500 feet underground. Okay, cool story. Does that make the potential for disaster any less real? Does it make the community feel any safer? I doubt it.
Lisa Karlin, a River Ridge resident, is asking the right questions: Who's deciding what's hazardous? Is anyone testing this stuff? And why the hell did River Birch get this permit so damn fast when other landfills closer to the disaster site were already taking waste?
Crickets from the Jefferson Parish Council and President Cynthia Lee Sheng. Shocker.
This "emergency" permit exemption smells like the same old Louisiana swamp gas. It's a recurring theme here, isn't it? Some disaster happens, a company gets a free pass, and the public gets the shaft. How many times have we seen this play out? And are we really supposed to believe that this "emergency" justifies sidestepping normal procedures and oversight?
River Birch's solid waste permit doesn't cover Tangipahoa Parish. But hey, an "emergency" changes everything, right? It’s like saying, “Yeah, I robbed a bank, but I really needed the money, so it's okay."
And what about these injection wells? They’re supposedly for non-hazardous waste, but a loophole from 1996 lets them pump down certain hazardous materials mixed with water. So, dilute the poison and it’s all good? Give me a break.
The whole thing feels like a shell game, moving toxic waste from one place to another, hoping nobody notices until it's too late. And if something goes wrong? "Oops, sorry! Unforeseen circumstances!"
I mean, underground injection is "accepted" under state and federal laws. But "accepted" doesn't mean "safe," does it? It just means it's legal. And in Louisiana, legal and ethical are often miles apart.
The Louisiana Environmental Action Network is planning to sue Smitty's Supply. Good. But will it make a difference? Will anyone be held accountable? Or will this just be another chapter in Louisiana's long and sordid history of environmental negligence? I’m not holding my breath. Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here. Maybe I'm expecting too much.
Honestly, this is Louisiana. Corruption and environmental disasters are practically state traditions. The only surprise here is that anyone is still surprised.
