"Louisiana must strengthen rules over the release of ozone-creating nitrogen oxide air emissions by industries in the Baton Rouge area during startups, shutdowns and malfunctions, or the federal Environmental Protection Agency will write and enforce its own rules, the agency announced this week.

The recommended rule changes would affect nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities in five Baton Rouge-area parishes that were considered in violation of federal ground-level ozone restrictions for decades before improvements allowed ozone levels to meet acceptable levels in 2015. The parishes are Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, and Livingston and West Baton Rouge.

The changes also would affect four nearby parishes whose own ozone levels were in attainment, but whose emissions affect air quality in the Baton Rouge-area parishes: East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena and West Feliciana."

Mark Schleifstein reports for the New Orleans Times-Picayune December 9, 2023. [2]