Newsletter Archives

Environmental Enforcement: Protecting and Preserving Louisiana’s Natural Beauty.

Summertime in South Louisiana means three months full of fun on the water, family road trips, and for some, hometown staycations. Whether you’re a weekend road warrior or playing tourist in your own city, it’s important to remember to preserve and protect those destinations you hold dear by preventing litter. After all, it is the law. For those who choose to ignore the legal implications of littering and dumping, the penalties could be pricey.

Environmental crime in Louisiana is not taken lightly, and in 2015, the state heightened its litter laws to impose steeper fines upon those caught in the act. In order to ensure those fines are being enforced, Keep Louisiana Beautiful is co-hosting a free Environmental Law Enforcement Training Workshop on Wednesday, July 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The session, which covers how state agencies, police, elected officials and municipalities can collaborate to enforce the environmental laws, is open to law enforcement officials, justices of the peace, constables, state and city prosecutors, elected and appointed officials, environmental managers, code enforcement officers, public works directors, and sanitarians.  Although the training will target Terrebonne, St. Mary, St. Charles and Lafourche parishes, anyone is welcome to attend.

The workshop features representatives from the La. Department of Environmental Quality’s Criminal Investigation Division, the La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division and the United States Environmental Protective Services Criminal Investigation Division, and St. Tammany Parish litter court. They will provide important information regarding the laws and actions pertaining to illegal dumping and burning, water pollution, littering and air pollution. But the training session is more than just a classroom of people who are looking to check a box – it goes beyond that. Attendees are also encouraged to contribute to the discussion about how to beautify our communities and protect our region’s ecosystem.

The workshop will take place at the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy in Houma. To register email srussell@keeplouisianabeautiful.org.