Protecting Public Health during Chemical Emergencies: Responding to Petrochemical Accidents from the Ground Up

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) is an environmental health and justice organization that since 2000 has been working with communities affected by industrial pollution, predominantly low-income African American communities. Louisiana is a unique region that faces frequent environmental health emergencies because of its vulnerability to severe weather but also because it is home to 150 petrochemical plants on shore, 40,000 oil wells off shore and thousands of miles of petroleum piplelines.

LABB's current work addresses the increased, compounded vulnerabilities and risks and environmental health disparities experienced by Gulf Coast communities who live in the pathway of both industry and storms. LABB communicates these risks by empowering affected residents to become citizen scientists through the following tools: • We train community groups to take their own air, water and seafood samples using “the bucket,” a user-friendly EPA approved air sampling device, and other devices developed to capture a wide range of PAHs, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and VOCs. Community groups use sample results to advocate for public health, precipitate enforcement actions and site air monitors in the community. • Our Refinery Efficiency Initiative uses the petrochemical industry's self reported data on their accidents to educate neighboring communities on the public health risks of chemical exposure and negotiate with regulators/industry on emissions reductions. • The Oil Spill/Chemical Accidents Crisis Maps, an innovative crowd sourcing technology, provides a real-time participatory platform to report the impacts of emergencies like the BP Oil Spill. We have over 3,300 citizen reports to the map since May 2010. • We recruit residents living on the fencelines of hazardous industry to become certified Citizen Emergency Response Trainers (CERT) to improve first response and disaster preparedness for chemical emergencies. • We have conducted over 1,300 Health Impact Surveys in refinery towns and gulf coast communities since 2002.