Bills aimed at preventing sinkholes pass out of committee - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Bills aimed at preventing sinkholes pass out of committee

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By Nick Foley - email
Source: Assumption Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness Source: Assumption Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness

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BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Nearly nine months after a massive sinkhole was discovered in southeast Louisiana, lawmakers are taking steps to make sure a similar scenario doesn't happen again.

Two bills introduced by state Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine, would address the operation of mines and caverns within a salt dome. One would require companies to update information, like the location of caverns within the salt dome, while the other would regulate the mines and wells in caverns in the salt dome.

St. Germain said those two measures need to be in place to prevent another Bayou Corne-type incident from happening.

"We're definitely behind the eight ball, but we're definitely going to get that eight ball in the hole," she said. "It needs to be done now and for the future of Louisiana. All the bills that we're doing are a direct effect from this sinkhole."

The bills passed through the House committee on natural resources without opposition and were introduced to the House floor Thursday.

Debate is expected next week.

Copyright 2013 WAFB. All rights reserved.

  • Bills aimed at preventing sinkholes pass out of committee

  • The Assumption Parish, LA sinkhole continues to grow. The ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. Click here to see the photos from August 2012 until now.
    The Assumption Parish, LA sinkhole continues to grow. The ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. The sinkhole, or slurry, is consuming land and trees. Many images are from the Assumption Parish Police Jury. Click here to see the photos from August until now.