A Benefit for the Louisiana Bucket Brigade

Readers:

Micah Ballard
Terri Carrion
Lyn Hejinian
Michael McClure
David Meltzer
Michael Rothenberg
Sunnylyn Thibodeaux

Listen to the event...

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is a 501(c)(3) environmental health and justice organization working with communities that neighbor the state's oil refineries and chemical plants. The EPA-approved “bucket" is a simple, community friendly tool that fenceline neighbors use to take air samples. We complement the community group by adding a level of technical expertise to their work. We provide this tool and training to community members to monitor and expose industrial pollution as it happens. We assist residents in their fight to reduce pollution and protect public health. We work with community groups to help them take air samples and achieve their goals, be it relocation away from a polluting facility, reduced pollution, or a moratorium on facility expansions. The more evidence the communities gather, the more power they have to attain their goals.

Taking air samples is a powerful experience for community members who are used to being ignored, overlooked, and disrespected by corporations and government. Dorothy Jenkins, President of Concerned Citizens of New Sarpy, used to call the refinery to complain about the odors. A low ranking operator would tell her not to worry, that the black plume of smoke that billowed for hours near her home was not harmful. Now Mrs. Jenkins has a bucket. When refinery managers and government regulators tell her that there is nothing to worry about, she answers, "Why, then, was there a benzene reading of 14 in my air sample, a reading that violates the state standards?" The bucket gives community members power to hold institutions accountable to provide a safe and healthy environment. 

Oil Crisis Spill Map

This map visualizes reports of the effects of the BP oil spill submitted via text message,  email, twitter and the web. Reports of oil sightings, affected animals, odors, health  effects and human factor impacts made by the eyewitnesses and the media populate  points on a this public, interactive, web based map. We hope that information this will be  used to provide data about the impacts of the spill in real time as well as document the  story of those that witness it. 
Why does this map matter? 

This map utilizes public testimony to visualize the impact of the BP oil spill over time  and geography. By using information that comes from participants we will be able to  track, document and make public the effects of the BP oil spill. By making all  information public we hope to facilitate transparency, accountability and effectiveness in  the oil spill response and clean up.