Louisiana Bucket Brigade

TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES USE OF GRASSROOTS ACTION IN ORDER TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS FREE FROM INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION.

THE ORGANIZATION OPERATED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2022:ST. JAMES: THE LOUSIANA BUCKET BRIGADE SUPPORTS THE PEOPLE OF ST. JAMES PARISH IN THEIR PURSUIT OF CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER AND CLEAN SOIL WITHIN THE PARISH. WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE AREAS OF ORGANIZING AND MEDIA AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, THE LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE ASSITS THE GROUP RISE ST. JAMES IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PROGRAM PLANNING, BUDGETING, FUNDRAISING, ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. WITH OUR SUPPORT, THIS GROUP HAS HELPED TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL AIR POLLUTION IN ST. JAMES PARISH. THEY HAVE RAISED THEIR OWN FUNDS, THUS INCREASING THEIR BUDGET SIZE AND MANAGED THEIR OPERATING BUDGET.MOVEMENT BUILDING: THE LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT (CARTOGRAPHY, EVENT PLANNING, RESEARCH) TO PARTNER GROUPS SO THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION AND RESOURCE THEY NEED TO ENGAGE THEIR NEIGHBORS, ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, JOURNALISTS AND OTHER COLLABORATORS. WITH OUR SUPPORT, THESE GROUPS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY.COMMUNITY SUPPORT: OUR PRIMARY PARTNERSHIP IS IN ST. JAMES, BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE MEDIA AND ORGANIZING SUPPORT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AS NECESSARY.

LNG GAS EXPORTS: THERE ARE CURRENTLY PLANS TO BUILD OR EXPAND TWELVE GAS EXPORT TERMINALS IN LOUISIANA - SEVEN IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND FOUR IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. WHILE WE ARE SUPPORTING CONCERNED RESIDENTS IN PLAQUEMINES, OUR FOCUS IS ON CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, WHERE WE ESTABLISHED A ROBUST CAMPAIGN BEGINNING IN EARLY 2022. OUR STRATEGY FOR DEFEATING THIS EXPANSION IS TO IDENTIFY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO CAN ADVOCATE TO FEDERAL AGENCIES WHILE ALSO CREATING MORE VISIBLE LOCAL RESISTANCE - VIA EVENTS AND MEDIA - TO THE PLANNED EXPANSION. ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES INCLUDE: MAPPING BUILDOUT IMPACTS OF LOCAL FISHING GROUNDS; ACCIDENT AND OPERATIONS WATCH; COMPILING COMMENTS FOR VARIOUS REGULATORY AGENCIES; PARTICIPATION IN COALITION WORK TO UNDERSTAND THE INSURANCE AND FINANCIERS BEHIND PROJECTS; AND INTERNATIONAL COALITION BUILDING.

SUPPORTING FENCELINE COMMUNITIES: EARLY WARNING NETWORK - WE KNOW THAT OUR RESISTANCE IS STRONGER WHEN WE BEGIN EARLY. IN ST. JAMES PARISH, FOR EXAMPLE, WORK TARGETING THE ST. JAMES PLANNING COMMISSION INCLUDED AN OPEN MEETINGS LAWSUIT AND TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT CAUSED THE CANCELLATION OF THE BILLION DOLLAR WANHUA CHEMICAL PLANT. THE EARLY WARNING NETWORK WILL FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF THE STATE TARGETED FOR INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION. IN CANCER ALLEY THESE INCLUDE ST. JAMES, ST. JOHN, AS WELL AS ST. CHARLES, ASCENSION, IBERVILLE AND JEFFERSON. THE EARLY WARNING NETWORK IS A PLAN TO DO THREE THINGS: 1/ BUILD OUT A BROADER RESISTANCE TO MORE FACILITIES WITH THE DEPTH ON EACH FACILITY NECESSARY TO WIN; 2/ CONNECT PEOPLE WHO ARE CHALLENGING LOCAL PROJECTS WITH RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK; 3 / FIND OUT ABOUT PROJECTS AT THE EARLIEST STAGES OF PLANNING. THERE IS OFTEN INTERNAL INFORMATION IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES - THE LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, THE GOVERNORS OFFICE, THE ASSESSORS FILES WHERE PROPERTY TRANSFERS ARE RECORDED - YEARS BEFORE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE. OUR PLAN PROPOSES TO FIND THAT INFORMATION AND ACT ON IT. CURRENT STRATEGY INCLUDES THE CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF A PHYSICAL/DIGITAL TOOLKIT FOR CONCERNED RESIDENTS WITH ACTIONABLE STEPS.

MOVEMENT BUILDING:DOWN BY THE RIVER BIKE RIDE - THE GOAL FOR OUR BIKE RIDE IS TO BUILD INSPIRATION AND POWER BY BRINGING THE POWER OF HISTORY TO TODAYS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT ALONG CANCER ALLEY. OUR STRATEGY IS TO GET PEOPLE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND LANDSCAPES WHERE PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES ARE LOCATED SO THEY CAN SEE THE SCALE OF THE PLANTS, THEIR PROXIMITY AND THEIR IMPACT ON NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS FIRSTHAND. BY EXPLORING THE CONFLUENCE OF BLACK HISTORY IN THE RIVER PARISHES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT, AND ECOLOGY ON BIKES RATHER THAN CARS OR A BUS, WE ARE CREATING A DEEPER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - WE ARE IN THE DEEP SOUTH WHERE RESOURCES FOR FUNDING BLACK-LED GROUPS HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN SCARCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELDS OF ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE. A CORE PART OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY IS CREATING AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT WHERE, RATHER THAN A SCRAMBLE FOR RESOURCES, GROUPS OF ALL SIZES HAVE THEIR FUNDING NEEDS MET. AS MORE MONEY COMES INTO THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SPACE THAN EVER BEFORE, WITH NATIONAL FOUNDATIONS KEEN TO FUND BLACK-LED GROUPS, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH GROUPS TO ENSURE THAT THIS MONEY IS SPENT WELL, WHILE ALSO MAKING A PLAN FOR HOW THESE GROUPS CAN RETAIN FUNDING WHEN THIS MOMENT HAS PASSED. IN ADDITION TO CO-FACILITATING A BIWEEKLY COHORT OF GRASSROOTS GROUPS, LABB ALSO PROVIDES STAFF TIME TO SUPPORT GROUPS TO DEVELOP BUDGETS, HIRING PROCESSES, AND BUILD OUT THEIR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES. THE LONG TERM GOAL FOR THIS WORK IS TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SIX BLACK-LED STAND-ALONE ORGANIZATIONS IN COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN LOUISIANA.