A Louisiana refinery spilled toxic waste into the community and knew about it for months
GRAMERCY — For several months, a River Parishes refinery unlawfully discharged industrial toxic waste containing arsenic, cadmium, chromium and other toxic heavy metals into public areas and waterways, state records show.
The company, Atlantic Alumina, also known as Atalco, has so far racked up 23 violation notices from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality after inspectors first discovered the pollution in August. It involves a slurry of industrial “red mud” byproduct that has eroded through the giant levees surrounding the facility’s waste containment lakes and spilled onto public property. The toxic sludge has killed vegetation and contaminated the land along its path to a local drainage system that flows to the Blind River Swamp of Lake Maurepas, according to a 606-page LDEQ inspection report finalized in March.
The incident marks the first known case of red mud levee breaches at an American bauxite refinery. When asked for details, LDEQ spokesman Gregory Langley had little information to share about the prolonged discharge other than to say it is currently under investigation with the agency’s enforcement division. The only enforcement action taken as of May 29 is a warning letter LDEQ sent to Atalco.
