Louisiana Bucket Brigade

DESCRIPTION:THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) WILL ALLOCATE FUNDING TO THE LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXECUTING ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP AND WEATHERIZATION INITIATIVES. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT IS TASKED WITH ADDRESSING TWO DUMP SITES, CONDUCTING WEATHERIZATION ASSESSMENTS, WEATHERIZING 50 RESIDENCES, AND PROCURING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR EXTENDING THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM TO HOMES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF IMAGINE ST. JAMES PARISH IS TO FOSTER A MORE PRISTINE AND DYNAMIC COMMUNITY BY TARGETING DUMP SITE REMEDIATION AND COMMENCING A WEATHERIZATION CAMPAIGN WITHIN THREE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK RURAL COMMUNITIES CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH RATES OF HOMEOWNERSHIP AND LOW OR FIXED INCOMES. HISTORICALLY BURDENED BY ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND LACKING SUPPORT, THIS LOCALE STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT THROUGH BLIGHT REDUCTION, MINIMIZED STORM-RELATED DEBRIS RISKS, DECREASED ENERGY EXPENDITURES, AND DIMINISHED EXPOSURE TO EXTREME HEAT.ACTIVITIES:THE PROJECT AIMS TO CLEAN UP TWO NON-HAZARDOUS, INFORMAL, ILLEGAL DUMP SITES AND TO WEATHERIZE HOMES IN THE LOCAL AREA. THIS WILL INVOLVE DOOR-TO-DOOR ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY MEETING INVITATIONS, TEXTS, NEWSPAPER STORIES, FACEBOOK LIVE BROADCASTS, AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH. AS A RESULT OF THIS EFFORT, 50 HOMES ACROSS THE THREE COMMUNITIES WILL BE IDENTIFIED FOR WEATHERIZATION. THE LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE WILL CONDUCT THE WEATHERIZATION FOR THE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AS READY. INCLUSIVE LOUISIANA WILL MANAGE THE LIST OF HOMES AND WORK WITH THE APPOINTED INDIVIDUALS AS CONTACTS, SERVING AS THE PRIMARY INTERFACE FOR SCHEDULING.SUBRECIPIENT:INCLUSIVE LOUISIANA IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITIES THROUGH VARIOUS OUTREACH INITIATIVES, INCLUDING TOWN HALL MEETINGS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND ONLINE ENGAGEMENT. THE PROGRAM WILL ACTIVELY SEEK OUT HOMEOWNERS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND COMFORTABLE. THIS WILL INVOLVE CONDUCTING ASSESSMENTS TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EACH HOUSEHOLD AND PROVIDING TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE LIVING. RURAL ROOTS LOUISIANA, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT, WILL PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE AS THE PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE. IN THIS CAPACITY, THE ORGANIZATION WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH HOMEOWNERS TO IMPLEMENT WEATHERIZATION MEASURES, SUCH AS INSULATION AND SEALING, AIMED AT IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING UTILITY COSTS. ADDITIONALLY, RURAL ROOTS LOUISIANA WILL LEVERAGE ITS EXPERTISE TO OVERSEE THE CLEANUP OF DUMP SITES, ENSURING PROPER DISPOSAL OF WASTE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. OUTCOMES:THE PROJECT'S ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE THE CLEANUP OF TWO NON-HAZARDOUS, INFORMAL ILLEGAL DUMP SITES, CONVENING THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE PLANS FOR THE SITES, CONDUCTING HOME ASSESSMENTS, AND IDENTIFYING 10-15 HOMES THAT FIT WITHIN THE BUDGET SCOPE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO WEATHERIZE THE FIRST 2-5 HOMES THAT ARE PREPARED AND READY FOR WORK TO START. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT ARE NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH ALL THE HOMES ARE ADEQUATELY COOL IN EXTREME HEAT, AND DUMP SITES ARE TRANSFORMED INTO CLEAN AND VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSETS. FURTHERMORE, THE PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE BLIGHT AND RISK FROM DEBRIS DURING THE REGION'S ONGOING STORMS, LOWER ENERGY BILLS, AND REDUCE EXPOSURE TO EXTREME HEAT. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE THE BLACK COMMUNITIES RESIDING WITHIN THE ST. JAMES AND ASCENSION PARISHES IN SOUTH LOUISIANA.

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDED SMALL GRANT IS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEAR REFINERIES AND PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE COVID-19 FATALITIES HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH, ABOUT AVAILABLE AIR QUALITY INFORMATION, INCLUDING ITS CONNECTION TO COVID-19 MORBIDITY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ENGAGING AND TRAINING 20-30 RESIDENTS PER PARISH OVER THREE PARISHES TO BECOME AWARE OF AIR QUALITY VIA AIR SAMPLING AND REPORTS TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (LDEQ) HOTLINE; SYNTHESIZING DATA, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHICS, COVID-19 RATES, AND EMISSIONS INFORMATION; AND COMPILING INCIDENT DATA INTO A REPORT TO UNDERSTAND THE FREQUENCY OF INCIDENTS AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH BAD WEATHER EVENTS.ACTIVITIES:PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ENGAGING AND TRAINING 20-30 RESIDENTS PER PARISH OVER THREE PARISHES TO BECOME AWARE OF AIR QUALITY VIA AIR SAMPLING AND REPORTS TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (LDEQ) HOTLINE; SYNTHESIZING DATA, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHICS, COVID-19 RATES, AND EMISSIONS INFORMATION; AND COMPILING INCIDENT DATA INTO A REPORT TO UNDERSTAND THE FREQUENCY OF INCIDENTS AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH BAD WEATHER EVENTS. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE 20-30 RESIDENTS PER PARISH OVER THREE PARISHES TRAINED ON AIR QUALITY SAMPLING AND A COMPLETED REPORT ON AIR INCIDENT DATA . EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AIR QUALITY, AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES, SUCH AS COVID-19, AND COMMUNITY-GENERATED DOCUMENTATION OF AIR QUALITY AND INDUSTRY INCIDENTS THAT IS SHARED WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. PEOPLE WITH MODERATE-TO-SEVERE OR UNCONTROLLED ASTHMA ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED FROM COVID-19. AIR POLLUTION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ASTHMA. BY ADDRESSING AIR POLLUTION IN CLEAN AIR ACT (CAA) 103(B)(3) PROJECTS, THE CHANCES OF SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID-19 ARE REDUCED. DIRECT BENEFICIARIES ARE RESIDENTS OF THE ST. JOHN, ST. JAMES, AND CADDO PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE'S REFINERY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVE'S GOAL IS TO ATTAIN A 25% REDUCTION IN INCIDENTS AND TOTAL VOLUME OF HAZARDOUS RELEASED BY

PURPOSE STATEMENT: COMMUNITY MEMBERS IMPACTED BY THE BP OIL SPILL NEED UNDERSTANDABLE, SCIENTIFIC DATA ABOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THE PROPOSED PLAN ED

THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNITY ACTION FOR A RENEWED ENVIRONMENT (CARE) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY THAT WILL ALLOW THE ISTROU