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Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality will be using a helicopter throughout south Louisiana to conduct
Hawk infrared camera flights on July 18-19.
The helicopter will be fitted with a specialized
infrared gas imaging camera and will fly from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Also,
the camera will be used along the Intracoastal Waterway to Lake Charles and
along the Calcasieu River area in an effort to find chemical leaks that are not
detectable to the human eye. The primary mission is to look for emissions from
tank barges and chemical storage tanks.
The specialized camera can detect volatile
organic chemical releases from tanks, pipelines, barges and other operations.
Leaks found by the specialized camera are not necessarily violations or
unauthorized releases. However, there will be a ground crew working with
the helicopter crew to visit facilities and barges that have significant leaks.
Leak Surveys is the company that developed the
camera and it will supply the helicopter and the camera in the air. DEQ
recently purchased its own infrared camera and will be using it on the ground.
There will also be representatives from the barge industry and the U. S. Coast
Guard to assist DEQ staff if there are any major leaks found on barges.
ILTA has contacted the La DEQ to ensure an
appropriate interface with the terminal industry is in place. This is the
only flyover program currently being reported in Louisiana for 2006.
The
State of Texas is still planning an intensive emissions study using
aircraft and infrared technology during August and September.
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