State Officials Deny EPA Violation Claim

State environmental quality officials say they followed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's instructions on submitting a plan to reduce ozone, but they are unsure why Louisiana was included on a list of states that failed to do so.

On Jan. 4, the EPA sent notices of failure to 28 states while also acknowledging that the letters are the result of unclear guidance from the federal agency.

Sam Phillips, assistant secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality, tells The Advocate he did not know why Louisiana received a failure notice since its draft plan was submitted before the EPA's January deadline.

Phillips said there's no fine or other consequence from the notice of failure, but it's troubling that DEQ will have it on the department's record.