Louisiana § RS 30:2564 - Louisiana Environmental Regulatory Innovations Programs

§ RS 30:2564. Louisiana Environmental Regulatory Innovations Programs

A.  The department shall establish and implement environmental regulatory innovations programs.  The programs shall provide regulatory flexibility for participants in these programs.  Participation in such programs shall be strictly voluntary, and the department shall not require participation in such programs.

B.  The Louisiana Environmental Regulatory Innovations Programs shall include but are not limited to the excellence and leadership program.

C.  Minimum criteria for participation in any of the Louisiana Environmental Regulatory Innovations Programs are:

(1)  The demonstration project must provide superior environmental performance:

(a)  Without increasing negative impacts on the environment, the local community, or worker health and safety.

(b)  Without transferring the pollution impacts into a product.

(2)  The pollution reduction goals of the demonstration project must be verifiable.

(3)  The participant agrees to make available to the public in a format approved by the department all information he submits to the department about the demonstration project, except information that is declared confidential under R.S. 30:2030.

(4)  The demonstration project must include stakeholder participation.

(5)  The participant agrees to provide an annual written report to the department containing but not limited to pollution reduction data, economic benefits, and paperwork and other administrative tasks that do not directly benefit the environment.

(6)  The project is consistent with federal law and regulation.

D.  The secretary shall determine the number of environmental regulatory innovations programs and the number of projects to be conducted under the programs each fiscal year.

E.  On or before June 30, 1999, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the secretary shall report to the legislature on implementation of these innovative programs, their environmental results, the level of stakeholder support, and the costs and benefits.

F.  The secretary shall give notice of the final project agreement to a person who has requested notice of the agreement.  The program participant must publish a notice of the final project agreement in the official journal of the parish governing authority for the parish in which the project will occur.

Acts 1997, No. 992, §1.