DEQ to test dumped barrels
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A contractor hired by the state Department of Environmental Quality worked Friday to remove 10 drums of illegally dumped material near a public park in Baton Rouge.
Preliminary testing showed some of the drums contained volatile organic compounds while others contained acidic material, according to a DEQ news release.
The exact contents of the 55-gallon drums won’t be known until further testing, said Rodney Mallett, DEQ spokesman.
“Whoever dumped these scraped all the markings off,” Mallett said. DEQ is asking that anyone with information on this illegal dumping call (225) 219-3944.
It’s unclear at this point what process, business or industry the material would have been used in, but additional testing by the contractor might lead to more clues, Mallett said.
The department decided to declare an emergency to allow the immediate cleanup of the drums because some of the drums were leaking, he said. In addition, there was a concern because the drums were located so close to a public park, according to the news release.
The drums were dumped about 60 yards from the Samuel D’Agostino Park on El Scott Avenue and discovered by a resident who alerted a fire department about the matter, Mallett said.
The area does not have a history of illegal dumping, he said.
“This is the first one in that area,” he said.
The cost of the drum removal will be between $8,000 and $15,000 and removal should be completed by today, according to DEQ.
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