Breaking: Fracking Permit Issued in Louisiana’s St. Tammany Parish | DeSmogBlog.
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a drilling permitfor Helis Oil and Gas today, bringing the company one step closer to realizing its ambition to frack in St. Tammany Parish.
Public outcry against fracking in St. Tammany Parish, an area known for its pristine water and picturesque wetlands 40 miles east of New Orleans, was not enough to sway the state agency. But the public’s input has led to unprecedented conditions being attached to the permit.
During a public hearing on the permit in November, representatives for Helis Oil made promises about measures above and beyond current regulations, including air and water monitoring. Lisa Jordan, legal counsel for the town of Abita Springs, asked if Helis would make those conditions legally binding during her cross examination. The representatives claimed none of them had the authority to make the conditions binding, that only a Helis Oil employee could do that.
“The level of disdain the company has for the citizens has been fairly clear all along,” Jordan told DeSmogBlog. But she was still surprised no one from the company came to the meeting. When she asked, “Is anyone here from Helis Oil?,” there was no answer.
