Deep South Center For Environmental Justice

WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,000,000 TO THE DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (DSCEJ), IN LOUISIANA.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE, CONSULTING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. THE RECIPIENT WILL ALSO BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITIES OF LEAST 250 CBOS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S (EPA) REGIONS 4 AND 6. THROUGH THE PROVISION OF DIRECT SERVICES, DSCEJ WILL ASSIST THE CBOS IN BUILDING THEIR CAPACITIES FOR RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHILE ALSO ASSISTING THEM IN APPLYING FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRANTS FROM THE EPA, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE), AND OTHER AGENCIES. THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AND RECOVERY CENTER (CIRC) WILL BE INCREASED IN AN EFFORT TO SUSTAIN CAPACITY-BUILDING SERVICES BEYOND THE 5-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD OF THIS GRANT.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING NEEDS, PROVIDING EDUCATION ON PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (AIR QUALITY, SOIL CONTAMINATION, CLEAN ENERGY, ETC.), CREATING COMMUNITY PROFILES USING DATA AND MAPPING, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE OF FEDERAL FUNDED PROGRAMS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF GRANTS AMONG UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, INCREASED ACCESS TO GRANT WRITING AND MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, AND AN INCREASE TO THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY JUSTICE FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THIS GRANT INCLUDE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT EACH OF THE STATES IN EPA'S REGION 4: (ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE) AND EPA'S REGION 6: (ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, TEXAS).

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,499,616 TO THE DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE FLOODING AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE USING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE DEVELOPING AND ADMINISTERING A COMPETITIVE SUBAWARD PROGRAM AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES ADVERSELY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH HARMS OR RISKS. COMMUNITY-LED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECTS WILL DEMONSTRATE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES THAT ADDRESS WATER QUALITY ISSUES AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY MITIGATING FLOOD HAZARDS, REDUCING IMPACTS FROM NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION, OR IMPROVING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. SUBRECIPIENT:SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED TO IMPLEMENT COMPETITIVELY SELECTED PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON THE KEY AREAS OF WATER QUALITY, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES IN UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AWARDING UP TO 24 SUBAWARDS OF VARIED AMOUNTS WITH AN EXPECTED 30 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED. AN ESTIMATED 50,000 TO 100,000 PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT FROM GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, AND 300 TO 400 INDIVIDUALS WILL RECEIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN COASTAL LOUISIANA WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND A REDUCTION IN POLLUTION IMPACTS.

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER INFLATION REDUCTION ACT TO CONDUCT AMBIENT AIR MONITORING OF POLLUTANTS OF GREATEST CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES STEMMING FROM POLLUTION AND THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE OF 2019 PANDEMIC. THE PRIMARY AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS IN ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH ('ST. JOHN') TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS ON ISSUES RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/ HEALTH EQUITY. THESE GROUPS OF CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED SOME IMPORTANT MILESTONES IN THESE AREAS, AND THEIR SUCCESS IN ADDRESSING THESE ENDEMIC ISSUES WILL ONLY GROW IF THEY ARE WELL-RESOURCED. THE TARGET COMMUNITY IS ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH [POP. ~21,000], LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILES FROM THE HEART OF NEW ORLEANS AND SITUATED ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE NEIGHBORHOODS (REPRESENTED BY OUR PARTNER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS PARISH SHARE SEVERAL COMMONALITIES. THEY (1) ARE SUBJECTED TO HIGH LEVELS OF AIRBORNE POLLUTANTS (SUCH AS PARTICULATE MATTER 2.5 (PM2.5), CHLOROPRENE AND OTHER VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS [VOCS], DIOXIDES, AND MERCURY, AMONG OTHERS) ORIGINATING FROM THE NEARBY DUPONT DENKA PETROCHEMICAL FACTORY3 AND THE FORMOSA PLASTICS FACTORY (AMONG MANY OTHERS; THESE ARE THE CLOSEST) EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR, (2) HAVE ACTIVE, RESIDENT-DRIVEN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUPS WITH WHOM DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (DSCEJ) HAS COLLABORATED ON PRIOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECTS - THESE GROUPS WERE FORMED IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO DERISIVE ACTIONS TAKEN BY LOCAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LOCAL POLLUTERS, (3) ARE MAJORITY AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND (4) HAVE REQUESTED (SEE ATTACHED LETTERS) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM DSCEJ TO ADDRESS THE ENDEMIC POLLUTION WHICH PLAGUE THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR TEAM - CONSISTING OF DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, CITIZEN GROUPS FROM THESE THREE COMMUNITIES, DATA SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH/ TOXICOLOGY EXPERTS - INTENDS TO ACHIEVE FOUR OBJECTIVES (DETAILED BELOW): (1) EDUCATE/ TRAIN A CITIZEN ACTION TEAM FROM EACH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION (CBO) ABOUT THE PROBLEM (POLLUTION SOURCES/ TYPES, HEALTH IMPACTS FOR LEVELS OF PREVALENT POLLUTANTS, REMEDIATION OPTIONS, ET CETERA) AND EFFECTIVE ACTIONS THEY CAN TAKE; (2) DEVELOP, THROUGH COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PROCESSES, A COMPREHENSIVE AIR MONITORING PLAN THAT SPECIFIES TARGETED POLLUTANTS, AND INCLUDES A PLAN/STRATEGIES FOR PROJECT MONITORING, DISSEMINATION, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT; (3) TRAIN THE CITIZEN ACTION TEAMS, BASED ON THE COMMUNITY-DESIGNED PLAN, IN THE SKILLS THEY WILL NEED TO CARRY OUT THE ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES (AND IN SOME CASES, ENHANCE EXISTING EFFORTS) IN THEIR COMMUNITY (IN PHASES - THAT IS, MONITORING/DATA SKILLS MAY BE TAUGHT FIRST, WHILE DISSEMINATION STRATEGIES MAY COME LATER); (4) INSTALL MONITORING EQUIPMENT AND IMPLEMENT PLANNED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES OVER THE ENSUING ~18 MONTHS (MONITORING, DATA COLLECTION, REPORT-WRITING, DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS, MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, ADVOCACY, ET CETERA.). ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO MONITOR THEIR OWN AIR QUALITY AND TO PROMOTE AIR QUALITY MONITORING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT: LEVERAGE EXISTING AIR QUALITY EXPERTISE, EXPAND USE OF COMMUNITY MONITORING GROUPS AND OTHER APPROACHES THAT GIVE THE COMMUNITY A VOICE IN THE MONITORING OF THE AIR QUALITY, AND BUILD A FOUNDATION OF TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS AND ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING FROM WHICH SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND. EXPECTED PROJECT OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES. OUR PROJECT WILL INVOLVE BOTH PROCESS-ORIENTED OUTPUTS ASSOCIATED WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FULFILLMENT OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND AIR QUALITY MONITORING, AS WELL AS OUTCOMES RELATED TO BEHAVIORAL CHANGE. WHILE IT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF OUR PROJECT TO MEASURE LONG-TERM

CONFERENCE: 9TH ANNUAL HBCU CLIMATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE -THE DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WILL PARTNER WITH THE BULLARD CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, IN COLLABORATION WITH THIRTY-TWO (32) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) AND FIFTEEN (15) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, TO HOST THE 9TH ANNUAL HBCU CLIMATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA ON OCTOBER 11-15, 2023. THE CONFERENCE ADDRESSES THE SIGNIFICANT NEED FOR CLIMATE EDUCATION FOR HBCU STUDENTS WHO ARE LARGELY UNDER-REPRESENTED IN SCHOLARSHIP ON CLIMATE SCIENCE BUT OVER-REPRESENTED AS MEMBERS OF COMMUNITIES MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. THE CONFERENCE IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND NATIONAL GATHERING THAT BRINGS TOGETHER HBCU STUDENTS AND FACULTY, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS, GREEN BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES IN SESSIONS THAT EXPLORE CLIMATE SCIENCE AND DISPROPORTIONATE CLIMATE IMPACTS ON VULNERABLE AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. NOW IN ITS NINTH YEAR, THE CONFERENCE CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A CALL TO ACTION FOR STUDENTS AT HBCUS TO BECOME ENGAGED IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INFORMED DECISION-MAKING IN THE FIELD OF CLIMATE SCIENCE. THE 9TH ANNUAL HBCU CLIMATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE AIMS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THEORY AND THE EXPERIENTIAL REALITIES OF CLIMATE IMPACTS BY BRINGING TOGETHER HBCU FACULTY AND STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, CLIMATE SCIENTISTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND COASTAL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IMPACTED BY TOXIC FACILITIES AND SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE IS FOUR-FOLD: (1) INTRODUCE HBCU STUDENTS TO CLIMATE SCIENCE; (2) ENGAGE STUDENTS WITH GULF COAST COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING CLIMATE IMPACTS; (3) ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE PRACTICE OF THE PROFESSION THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS; AND (4) INTERACT WITH AND LEARN FROM PROFESSIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. THE CONFERENCE STRIVES TO CREATE SYNERGY BETWEEN ACADEMIA AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES; CONTRIBUTE TO ADDRESSING CHRONIC OR EMERGING CHALLENGES RELATED TO CLIMATE IMPACTS IN COASTAL REGIONS AND PORT CITIES THAT CAN BE EXACERBATED BY OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS AND NATURAL DISASTERS; AND FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS, COMPETENCIES IN SCIENCE LITERACY, AND CAPABILITIES OF PARTICIPATING HBCU STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT IS CO-FUNDED BY NSF'S GEOSCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP IN DIVERSITY PROGRAM (GOLD-EN) AND THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM (HBCU-UP), WHICH PROVIDES AWARDS TO STRENGTHEN STEM UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AT HBCUS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

8TH ANNUAL HBCU CLIMATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE

7TH ANNUAL HBCU CLIMATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE; NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 2019

THE MAIN GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED RESIDENTS OF COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY THE BP OIL SPILL WASTE

THE CONFERENCE WILL BRING TOGETHER COLLEGE FACULTY AND STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, CLIMATE PROFESSIONALS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND COASTAL COMMUNITY

THE TRAINING WORKSHOP WILL SERVE AS A FORUM TO CULTIVATE IN STUDENTS A SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY FOR CLIMATE-IMPACTED COMMUNITIES AND THE SOC

PROVIDE SUPPORT AND PLANNING ASSISTANCE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TRAINING WORKSHOP IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA ON SEPTEMBER 2