UPDATE

EPA Tells of DEQ Successes at
26th Annual Conference on the Environment
L
ouisiana is excelling in many areas of environmental
concern, according to Carl L.
Edlund, EPA Region 6 Multi-Media Planning
Director.
Edlund told a group of industry leaders, DEQ
employees and interested citizens about the areas
where the state is leading the country during his
remarks at DEQ’s 26th annual Conference on the
Environment, held March 18-19 in Lafayette. The
EPA also recently sent DEQ a letter to formally recognize
the agency for its leadership.
“With this achievement, LDEQ becomes the
national leader in RCRA (Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act) program authorization. I congratulate
and commend the LDEQ staff for this
outstanding accomplishment,” Edlund wrote in
the letter.
Louisiana has “made a tremendous improvement
in air quality for the EPA one-hour standard
and is reaching the eight-hour standard faster than
most areas of the country,” Edlund said. The eighthour
standard follows the EPA’s more stringent
guidelines on air quality.
The conference was well
attended by exhibitors and the
public. The attendees could
choose from 34 different presentations
on a variety of environmental
subjects. Seminars and
panel discussions included varied
subjects such as Homeland
Security, Green Chemistry,
Review of Criteria Air Pollutants
and Emergency Release and
Incident Reporting. The seminars
offered professional development
hours to the attendees.
The 126 exhibitors demonstrated
the newest in technology
and ideas to the crowd of more
than 1,000 people.
The conference provided an excellent opportunity
for regulators, environmental managers, consultants,
industry representatives and interested
citizens to network and exchange ideas on current
environmental issues and future technologies.
DEQ Secretary Mike McDaniel, Carl Edlund, EPA Region 6 and Bill Stringer, EPA
Washington, get ready to speak to the Plenary session of the Conference on the
Environment.
DEQ Secretary Mike McDaniel said, “It is important
to hear the good news about how Louisiana
compares to other states in protecting the environment.
It shows we are making progress in many
areas, and while there is still much to do, we have
a good foundation on which to build.”
Training sessions covered topics such as how to handle request for public
records an how to submit documents to be scanned in the electronic document
management system. There were also exhibits on display in the Topic
File Room and Public Records Center. Special contests events were scheduled
during National Library Week.
“The response to this year’s RIMM campaign has been very positive,” said
McLain. More than 150 DEQ employees and 50 individuals from organizations
such as the Baton Rouge Advocate, Division of Administrative Law and
Louisiana State University participated in the celebration. Ferol Foos,
Recorder of Documents with the State Library of Louisiana, said, “I was
impressed by each DEQ person’s emphasis on service to the public/citizens.
The attitude of openness, helpfulness, service was strong, sincere, and pervasive.”
In April, DEQ celebrated Records and Information Management Month
(RIMM) in a big way. To really get the ball rolling, Governor Kathleen
Blanco issued a statewide proclamation recognizing the event. RIMM is celebrated
internationally during April to promote the records management
profession and to emphasize the impact that records and information management
has on global business. It began in 1995 when the Association of
Records Managers and Administrators Inc. (ARMA) established the event.
The theme was “Opening a Door to a World of Information.” According
to Wendy McLain, DEQ Records Manager, “We thought it was a great time
to show off the many improvements to DEQ’s records management program
that have been implemented since the creation of the Records Management
section in 2000. The goal of the month-long, comprehensive campaign was
to promote the importance of good records and information management,
as well as the value of openness in government and the public’s right to know.
“This year was the most ambitious RIMM celebration DEQ has ever
attempted,” McLain said. “It will be a challenge to top this next year.”
Additional information about DEQ’s Records Management program is found
at www.ldeq.org/pubrecords.
Jay Stephenson,
Environmental
Chemical Specialist
in Engineering
Group 3 along with
other DEQ employees,
visit the Topic
File Room. The
Topic File Room was
just one of the stops
made on the tours
offered during
RIMM.
On April 2, the public had the opportunity to tour various DEQ departments
inside the Galvez Building. The new facilities made it easier to conduct
the tours and training. The tours highlighted the Public Records Center,
Imaging Operations, Topic File Room, Library, Legal Library and Geographic
Information System (GIS) Center. DEQ Secretary Mike McDaniel and
Undersecretary Cy Buchert welcomed guests and provided opening remarks.
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