Environmental Justice Leader in St. James

Louisiana Catholic environmental justice activist wins Goldman Prize

From National Catholic Reporter: "'I had no intention of being an activist,' Sharon Lavigne, a Black Catholic from St. James Parish, Louisiana, said of her battle to keep plastics factories out of her neighborhood. But her race and her place of residence made her a fierce advocate for environmental justice. And God, she would add: 'It was him that put this fight in me.'"

Article by Claire Schaeffer-Duffy

Ozone air quality action day

Louisiana DEQ has declared An Action Day for the New Orleans Region for Wednesday, Jun 16
DEQ is forecasting an "Ozone Action Day" for Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes. The weather conditions will be favorable for ground level ozone formation. Orange Level:  Unhealth for "Sensitive Groups" Sensitive Groups include: People who are active outdoors, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma or covid, should avoid prolonged outdoor activities and exertion, especially during the afternoon hours.
Today and Tomorrow's Forecast
Tuesday, Jun 15:	100 AQI	Moderate		Ozone
Wed, Jun 16:	101 AQI	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups		Ozone

Tuesday through Thursday, a ridge of high pressure aloft will reduce atmospheric mixing and produce mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures throughout Louisiana, increasing the formation of ground-level ozone. In addition, light winds on Tuesday will limit dispersion, allowing pollutants to accumulate. These conditions will cause Air Quality Index (AQI) levels to be Moderate on all three days, with "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups AQI levels" expected in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans Regions on Wednesday.

DEQ is forecasting an "Ozone Action Day" for Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes. The weather conditions will be favorable for ground level ozone formation.

The Air Quality Index indicates that ozone will be at the orange level, which is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Increasing ozone levels may cause unhealthy air quality during afternoon hours. Active children and adults, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor activities and exertion.

Area residents are encouraged to take one or more of the following voluntary actions to help reduce the formation of ozone:

• Drive less. Carpool, walk and bike, combine errands and care for your car. Be sure your gas cap is on tight.

• Refuel your vehicle, mow grass and use gas powered lawn equipment and off road vehicles after 6 p.m.

• Postpone chores that use oil based paint, varnishes and solvents that produce flame.

• If you barbecue, use an electric starter instead of starter fluid.

• Take your lunch to work or walk to lunch.

• Conserve energy in your home.

Incorporating these tips into your daily routines can make a significant difference. We all have a stake in better air quality.

SPREAD THE WORD by telling family, friends, co-workers and neighbors about OZONE ACTION DAYS.

More information about current air quality and what you can do to help prevent ozone formation is available online at the DEQ website www.deq.louisiana.gov.

suggestions

UPDATE:   Suggestions repeatedly made to Valero Energy in the past 10 years.  These comments have eluded Valero Energy when plant officials requested suggestions for community projects to contribute to.  The need for a skate board park and bicycle trail head comes to mind.

With a lack of public input mechanisms to suggest community projects, perhaps it’s worth reiterating previously requested projects:

1) The Villere Plantation's brick drainage pump ruins have been entrusted, through a conservation easement  to the St. Bernard Parish Historical Society. Unfortunately, the conservation easement is scheduled to expire when the EPA CD is completed.   This wooded area on the former Villere Plantation grounds would make a wonderful bird and wildlife sanctuary. Bald eagles are known to nest in this area. It would also be a suitable location for a Central Wetlands observation deck north of the forty arpent canal.  

The Villere Plantation was the site of the British Invasion during the war of 1812. The Villere Plantation was listed as a War of 1812 Preservation Priority in the 2007 American Battlefield Protection Program Report to Congress. "The priorities indicate which sites, in the opinion of the National Park Service, merit immediate preservation action, which need ongoing preservation action, which require additional study, and which are best suited for commemoration rather than preservation."   http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/Rev1812_Final_Report.pdf   http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/04/villere-plantation-ruins.html

2)  Buy Back Program; allow homeowners  to increase lot sizes and give residents the opportunity of re-establishing our neighborhood feel.  Place conservation easement on the remaining land titles to provide commitment to a truly protective green zone buffer.

3)  Protect our children and pedestrians and resume the sidewalk replacement program to bring vacant lots to ADA compliance. Include the sidewalks from Ohio Street to Jacob Drive so residents can safely continue to ride bikes or walk along Jacob Drive.   http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2014/08/sidewalks-and-school-children.html

http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/07/sidewalk-update.html

http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/05/pedestrian-friendly.html

4) Respect our families and our privacy and stop neighborhood surveillance tactics and invasive security cameras. Keep transient workers from trespassing, and provide workers with an evacuation route which does not include our neighborhoods.

5)  Improvements to increase the plant’s storm water capacity and to change the plan for waste water malfunctions, so that use of neighborhood canals for emergency discharges or overflows is prohibited.  Additionally prohibit use of the plant’s western rain water ditch for waste water malfunctions. This “west ditch” connects to the municipal storm water system which discharges into the nearby central wetlands.

6)  Appropriately fill the vacant lots to avoid mosquito infestation and virus transmission.

7) Provide public access to real time fence line monitor data, especially for benzene (not two week averages with data available months later). Continue the ambient air monitor station and real time access to its data beyond the EPA CD conclusion. Provide public access to the rain fall totals measured at the station.

8) Provide real time information during plant emergencies and other incidents.

9) Investments to upgrade the Meraux plant to BACT pollution controls.

10) Investment in operational adjustments for noise muffling and installation of noise abatement technology.

11) Comply with our local code and performance standards for nuisance, vibrations, noise, dust, night work, truck traffic, screening fences, dumpsters and parking lot litter.

12) A good neighbor demonstrates respect on a daily basis for the people who live on the other side of the fence line.  Merge the CAP and the emissions data meeting to allow the general public to attend its CAP meetings and allow information from CAP meetings to be made available to the public.