By now it is well known that we must transition to renewable energy as quickly as possible in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The terms of that transition and the opportunity to make energy cleaner, fairer, and more democratic are now central to so much of Healthy Gulf’s work, including here in Florida.
April is global Citizen Science month. This April, Healthy Gulf, Cartoscope and Unique Mappers are releasing an international effort to help identify damage from oil spills in the Niger Delta. Through Land Pollution Lookout you can learn to identify and help us assess damage from over 300 oil spills in three internationally protected wetland sites in the Niger Delt
An explosion yesterday at the Marathon oil refinery in Southeast Louisiana was a bitter reminder of the day-to-day risks faced by workers in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, as well as the fenceline communities who live with the direct consequences of these plants. While the blaze was eventually tamed, at least one contractor was brought to a local hospital to treat their injuries.
Ironton, an African-American town in Plaquemines Parish, organized over the course of a year and throughout the pandemic. They opposed the construction of an oil terminal, planned by Tallgrass Energy, at the fenceline of their community. Tallgrass intended to build its terminal at the site of the former St. Rosalie plantation, right upriver from the historic Black community.
In 2016, the EPA formally acknowledged what communities long suspected: that ethylene oxide is a cancer causing chemical. Right now the EPA is developing agency rules around ethylene oxide and other miscellaneous organic chemicals. Healthy Gulf has requested the public be provided a virtual hearing with Spanish & Vietnamese translation available throughout the event.
This story is an update of our 2014 coverage of the Baucum suit against Petro Harvester for damage to health and property sustained by living next door to a poorly regulated oilfield waste injection well in the outskirts of Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi. There are many such wells around the state.
Recently I attended a beautiful All Saints Day ceremony on the East Bank of St James Parish, hosted by the local grassroots organization Inclusive Louisiana. We were gathered to honor the life and contributions of Zilia “Mama Dutt” Johnson, a midwife who served the community of Romeville for decades and helped countless mothers deliver children …
A new whitepaper was issued by Healthy Gulf’s Community Science Director, Scott Eustis.
Community faces long road to recovery after devastating hurricane, environmental racism
This Guest Blog was contributed by Roddy Hughes, a Senior Campaign Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign. Photos by Naomi Yoder, Healthy Gulf’s Staff Scientist.