Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Press Secretary Greg Langley told L’OBSERVATEUR a year ago the Noranda alumina refinery in Gramercy was required to submit modeling so the state could account for any kind of mercury emissions.

“We’re also going to go back and look at whatever has been admitted,” he said in February 2015. “They may be subject to some action there, because you can’t release mercury without a permit. I don’t know what the action may be at this point. Our enforcement department is looking at that.”

At approximately 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Langley again told this newspaper the state was waiting on the information, which was expected in the next few days so it could be turned over to the Environmental Quality Department’s enforcement office for review and a possible fine.

Langley said Noranda was given a deadline to turn over the information and missed it. The company has not been fined, but Langley said state regulators are keeping that option open.

Noranda made headlines this week when the Louisiana Environmental Action Network publicized a “notice of intent to sue” letter to Noranda officials, warning of plans to file a federal lawsuit over illegal and unsafe emissions.

The Environmental Quality Department has previously contended the permitting breakdown occurred because there was an air emission of Mercury, and Louisiana maintains an ambient air standard for mercury.

“Obviously, (Noranda has) got some business with permits, and they will also have some business with enforcement, because they’ll take a look at what mercury may have been admitted in the past,” Langley said.

That was the story 12 months ago. We should be somewhere further now.

The Noranda alumina refinery, located between Airline Highway and River Road near the West Bank bound approach to the Veterans Memorial Bridge, self-reported the emissions two years ago and has been working with the state since March 2014 to model what is being discharged.

Why don’t we know more by Feb. 6, 2016? Those in the River Parishes deserve more clarity.

Noranda gathers bauxite, which is red dirt, from its mining operation in Jamaica.

The bauxite is transported to the Gramercy refinery, where it is blasted with energy and caustic to covert it into a white sandy powder, creating alumina, a key feedstock in the creation of aluminum.

The alumina created in Gramercy is transported by barge to Noranda’s facility in New Madrid, Mo., where primary aluminum is produced.