BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - State agencies have ordered a Houston-based company believed to be behind a sinkhole in Assumption Parish to retroactively provide compensation to residents.
Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh said he is ordering Texas Brine Co. to provide assistance to residents since an evacuation began Aug. 3.
Texas Brine began distributing housing assistance checks worth $875 to families within the evacuation zone through an independent fund management agency Friday. The checks will be distributed weekly but officials say citizens have been experiencing problems long before that.
Welsh said he issued the order after Texas Brine refused to make retroactive payments.
The sinkhole near Bayou Corne is believed to be related to an abandoned brine cavern the company owns. Company spokesman Sonny Cranch says the company planned to comply with the order.