Baton Rouge has been ranked by Forbes as the fifth most toxic city in the country, but University officials question the results.
Mike Durham, director of the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, said he hadn’t heard of the rankings but was upset by Baton Rouge’s placement.
“It’s really disappointing to see this,” Durham said.
Durham said he wasn’t sure the rankings were completely accurate.
“I think it’s a bogus story, if you want to know the truth,” he said.
Forbes says Baton Rouge saw 33.6 million pounds of on-site toxic releases in 2009 — the latest statistics available.
Patrick West, safety and environmental training officer for Environmental Health and Safety, said in an e-mail the numbers were likely misrepresented.
West said he read in an Environmental Protection Agency report from 2009 that the city saw 11.9 million pounds of toxic releases, not 33.6 million.
Durham said it’s difficult for him to believe Baton Rouge is the country’s fifth most toxic city because he has always thought of the city as a clean place to live.
“The air is good,” he said. “The water’s good.”
Durham said one factor that may have led to the ranking is the release of pollutants by industries that burn natural gas or coal in the area.
He said such releases must be reported to the EPA.
“We have a large refinery,” Durham said.
Bryant Denison, criminology junior, said he’s not surprised by the ranking.
“I would imagine it’s mostly because of Exxon Mobil,” he said.
Denison said the refinery is necessary for city survival.
“That’s Baton Rouge’s economy right there,” he said.
Mike McDaniel, president of the Baton Rouge Clean Air Coalition, said he’s not sure what to think of the ranking because he has seen the amount of Baton Rouge pollution decline in recent years.
McDaniel said it’s important for residents to realize the amount of toxins doesn’t necessarily mean they’re at risk for exposure.
“Those numbers look big, but that doesn’t mean that’s what people are exposed to,” he said.
 
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]