Jeudi

If you're a chemical company, being unprepared for a hurricane can cost you money. The chemical storage facility in Braithwaite that leaked during Hurricane Isaac should be getting ready to pony up again because they didn't prepare for Isaac, the state indicated Friday. The La. Department of Environmental Quality issued a notice that they intend to fine Stolthaven for failing to prepare its facility for potential damage and flooding prior to Hurricane Isaac.

Stolthaven did not "specify or give mention to any measures taken prior to hurricane landfall," according to the state's Notice of Potential Penalty.

The Stolthaven site, which flooded during Isaac along with much of the rest of Braithwaite, attracted controversy earlier in September when a report went out that appeared to be evidence of a large chemical spill after the storm. Officials later corrected the report, saying the information provided to the government was "a worst-case scenario." Stolthaven still hasn't come clean about how many chemicals were released.

However, there was some discharge at the site. Stolthaven already paid a penalty of about $12,000 for delaying their reports that chemicals leaked, and now appears likely to pay more. Even after the corrected report, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade accused Stolthaven of not preparing to keep materials from leaking. The state is likely to detail how Stolthaven didn't prepare in greater detail when they issue their penalty.