News from CADDO Parish

Back in July, LEJCOC board members took a party bus to a ADR workshop hosted by Residents for Air Neutralization (R.A.N) in Shreveport, LA. During that workshop, Dr. Warren delivered his proposal for the “Healthy Helping Hands lead to Healthy Helping Minds” Campaign. The workshop attendants listened and eagerly embraced Dr. Warren’s program. Later, R.A.N. along with LEJCOC backing them for support hosted a community meeting, which industry, nor the local politician were a “no-show“. However , this did not stop the meeting. The community discussed the issues and came up with ways to begin to correct their current problems. Meanwhile a group of Caddo Parish youth came into the afternoon meeting singing and dancing to “Everybody Get Your Roll on. Everybody, Everybody Get Your Roll on”. This was a great treat for the attendants and the kids were asked for an encore. Congratulations R.A.N. on your unity and willingness to continue your fight, despite your adversities.

October 2008
LEJCOC is continuing its diligent work of getting the “WORD OUT” about the environmental injustices that are constantly plaguing our community today. In doing so, the members of LEJCOC will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to a conference hosted by the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC). The dates of the conference are Tuesday October 21, 2008 - Thursday October 23, 2008. Persons that will be attending the trip to Atlanta should meet in Tanger Outlet Mall’s parking lot in Gonzales, Louisiana no later that 11:30pm on Monday October 20, 2008. We will be traveling via charter bus. The bus will depart Tanger Outlet Mall’s parking lot at 12:00midnight sharp.
Upon arrival in Atlanta, we will check in to our hotels and obtain our designated room assignments.
In preparation for our return home, we will again board the bus at 11:30pm on Thursday October 23, 2008 and depart for Louisiana at 12:00midnight sharp.
For more information about this trip, feel free to contact Albertha Hasten at (225)545-5520 or LEJCOC@yahoo.com

EPA's 2007 Collaborative Problem-Solving Workshop Participants

President of LEJCOC, ALbertha Hasten along with Yolanda Laws accepts a $100,000.00 Collabrative Problem Solving Grant from EPA Environmental Justice.

Welcome to the Louisiana Environmental Justice Community Organizations Coalition website!

Our Coalition includes the following Environmental Justice Community Organizations:

• Alsen Environmental Justice Community Organization (Baton Rouge, LA)
  
• Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (Thibodaux, LA)
  
• Caring Parents of Geismar (Geismar, LA)
• Client Council of Raceland (Raceland, LA)
• Concerned Citizens and Youth of LA Hwy 18 and 44 (Convent, LA)
  
• Concerned Citizens of Hwy 400 (Plattenville, LA)
• Conerned Citizens of Iberville (White Castle, LA)
• Concerned Citizens of St John the Baptist Parish (LaPlace, LA)
• Jefferson Parish Environmental Justice Organization (Kenner, LA)
• People Empowering People (Houma, LA)
  
• Plaquemines-Orleans Environmental Justice Community Organization (Ironton, LA)
• Residents for Air Neutralization (Shreveport, LA)
• Truth Outreach Community (Destrehan, LA)
• WHY (Morgan City, LA)

We are directed by an Advocacy Commission, which includes one representative from each of our member organizations. The Executive Committee of the Advocacy Commission consists of:
Albertha Hasten, President
Sharon Baptiste, Vice-President
Vera Brooks, Financial Secretary
Rev. Marilyn Thornton, Esquire
Tracy Taylor, Secretary
Minister Marjorie Richard, Environmental Justice Consultant

LEJCOC member BISCO-Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing hosting a Katrina/Rita Commemorative Service

“From Remembrance to Hope”

A Katrina / Rita Commemorative Service

Saturday, September 23, 2006 – 7 PM

Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Square

Followed by a Candlelight walk to

Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales

We graciously request your attendance as we spend this time in reflection and prayer for those who were killed or displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for those whose lives are forever changed by the events of those frightening days and for those who sought to assist their brothers and sisters of God in their moments of despair. We will begin our program in the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Square at 7 PM on Saturday Sep. 23, where we will honor the memory of the events of those days, and the persons who were affected, followed by a candlelight walk to the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales where we will move “from remembrance to hope” in an interdenominational prayer service. We will close the evening’s events with a reception in the Cathedral’s Youth Center.

We hope you will join us in this commemorative service co-sponsored by BISCO and the Catholic Diocese of Houma Thibodaux. Please help us to make this a memorable event by inviting your associates, family and friends.

Phone/Fax (985) 446-5364 Email: mybisco@yahoo.com

Contact: Sharon Gauthe, BISCO Director (985-446-5364) (cell 985- 438-2148) or Sr. Celeste A. Cotter, CSJ of Catholic Social Services, Diocese of Houma Thibodaux (985- 876-0490)

A letter to Colonel Richard Wagenaar of the US Army Corps of Engineers

September 8, 2006
32365 Doc Dean Street
White Castle, LA 70788

Colonel Richard P. Wagenaar
District Engineer, New Orleans
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 60267
New Orleans, LA 70160-0267

Dear Colonel Wagenaar,

The Louisiana Environmental Justice Community Organizations Coalition (LEJCOC) is a state-wide coalition formed to investigate and address the needs and concerns of Louisiana’s Environmental Justice Communities, be they environmental, social, economic or political. We do this by building collaborations among grassroots communities, stakeholders, technical assistance organizations, and academic institutions. The collaborations then identify, investigate and develop and implement solutions for community concerns.

As a coalition of 14 grassroots community organizations, LEJCOC has its ear to the ground and proudly represents the voice of Environmental Justice Communities. On behalf of Environmental Justice Communities in Plaquemines, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Iberville, Orleans, Jefferson, Assumption, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Caddo, and St. Charles Parish, LEJCOC urges implementation of the Alligator Bend Marsh Creation (Restoration) and Shoreline Protection project.

LEJCOC was formed because many grassroots Environmental Justice Community Organizations in Louisiana realized the interconnectedness of the environmental problems throughout the Region. LEJCOC understands coastal erosion to be a Regional problem.

As I am sure you are aware, if the Alligator Bend Marsh Creation (Restoration) and Shoreline Protection project is not implemented, the wetland bridge separating Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne will disintegrate. The loss of this separation will result in increased vulnerability to high-energy winds and waves causing further wetland loss and flooding. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin is an important part of many Environmental Justice Communities’ well-being. In addition to supporting the local economies, subsistence fishers and hunters depend on the current aquatic and wildlife that flourish in these wetlands and lakes.

We hope you will urgently implement the Alligator Bend Marsh Creation (Restoration) and Shoreline Protection project to protect the environment and the people of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

From inside the struggle,

Albertha Hasten
President, Advocacy Commissioner
LEJCOC

A letter to Shirley Augurson of US EPA Region 6
September 11, 2006

Shirley Augurson
U.S. EPA, Region 6 (6RA-D)
Office of Environmental Justice & Tribal Affairs
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202-2733

Dear Ms. Augurson,

The Louisiana Environmental Justice Community Organizations Coalition (LEJCOC) is a state-wide coalition formed to investigate and address the needs and concerns of Louisiana’s Environmental Justice Communities, be they environmental, social, economic or political. We do this by building collaborations among grassroots communities, stakeholders, technical assistance organizations, and academic institutions. The collaborations then identify, investigate and develop and implement solutions for community concerns.

As a coalition of 14 grassroots community organizations, LEJCOC has its ear to the ground and proudly represents the voice of Environmental Justice Communities. On behalf of Environmental Justice Communities in Plaquemines, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Iberville, Orleans, Jefferson, Assumption, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Caddo, and St. Charles Parish, LEJCOC would like to submit these comments and suggestions regarding the EJ/AIR Conference 2007 proposed to be held in San Francisco, California.

LEJCOC was formed because many grassroots Environmental Justice Community Organizations in Louisiana realized the interconnectedness of the environmental problems throughout the Region. Air quality concerns are one of the major environmental problems that many of the LEJCOC communities deal with on a daily basis. Below are listed some of the important items that LEJCOC feels need to be addressed during this conference:
o Technical assistance- training and workshops for impacted communities
Example Training Topics
o What does the air program do and how can they help us
o Regulation updates-what are the laws and how do regulation changes affect EJ communities
o Training for air monitoring- basic information on how to understand air data
o Funding for training and workshops for communities
o How to build trust and increase communication with the EPA Air Division as well as state and local agencies and industry.
o Air quality and its relation to exposure and possible health effects.
o Taking cumulative risk into consideration during the air permitting process

We appreciate your efforts to keep communities involved in the planning process and look forward to continuing working with you.

From inside the struggle,

Albertha Hasten
President, Advocacy Commissioner
LEJCOC