When government fails to work on your behalf, the consequences are all too real. And for many years, the main governmental agency tasked with protecting the fragile environment here in the Bayou State -- the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ -- has been the epitome of government failure. The other day, I told you about DEQ's inadequate or in some cases non-existent response to significant chemical spills in Louisiana, a state that has a higher concentration of oil and chemical plants than virtually anywhere else in the world. I endorsed a proposal by a praiseworthy group of citizens who call themselves the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, who want the federal Environmental Protection Agency to acknowledge the crisis-like condition in the state and take over the DEQ's responsibilities. Otherwise, the potential impact of such a toothless tiger regulating the environment -- an agency that too often resides deeply in the back pocket of the industries that it regulates -- can be very severe for the everyday citizens of Louisiana. Just ask residents of the waterfront suburb of Slidell, and specifically the folks who live in neighborhoods such as Lakeshore Estates, Pirate’s Harbor, Treasure Isle, Rigolets Estate and Salt Bayou, all on or near the ...
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