2024
October 2024:
Released Buried at Buena Vista , identifying enslaved individuals in unmarked graves at a proposed petrochemical site.
January 2024:
Years of advocacy led to a permitting pause on gas exports by the Biden Administration.
For 25 years, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade has stood as a beacon of hope and action, transforming environmental challenges into victories.
From grassroots efforts with community partners to creating national-level impact, we’ve proven that local voices can create powerful change.
2023
November 2023
Media efforts placed gas exports as Biden’s “next big climate decision”
New Yorker: The Biden Administration’s Next Big Climate Decision
Washington Post: The next front in the climate fight: U.S. exports of natural gas
November 2022
Partnered with fishermen, including Fishermen Involved in Saving our Heritage (FISH), to bring a flotilla of shrimp boats protesting gas exports.
August 2022
Defeated South Louisiana Methanol in a historic Black community in St. James Parish.
2022
2021
August 2021
Stopped Nucor Steel expansion, preventing 125 tons of additional pollution.
August 2021
Army Corps required an Environmental Impact Statement for Formosa Plastics, delaying the project.
April 2021
Led opposition to Formosa Plastics through city council resolutions and 40,000+ public comments.
November 2020
Army Corps suspended Formosa permits; a judge withdrew its air permits.
Media work resulted in xx stories featuring the work to protect Louisiana from Formosa Plastics
October 2020
Opposed tax loopholes for industry in Louisiana’s constitution.
October 2020
Helped organize a Movement for Black Lives march in St. James Parish.
2020
2019
September 2019
Stopped Wanhua Chemical Plant in St. James Parish.
June 2017
Prevented Shell’s St. Rose expansion, stopping 119 tons of pollution through community advocacy and a public hearing.
March 2017
Won a Clean Air Act suit, requiring the EPA to assess health risks and improve emission controls, benefiting communities statewide, especially St. Rose.
January and March 2017
Opposed the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, setting the foundation to defeat Formosa Plastics.
2017
2016
August 2016
Delivered flood debris to the Bureau off Ocean Energy Management to make the link between drilling and catastrophic storms.
March 2016
Took over federal auction in the Superdome to advocate for protection of the Gulf of Mexico from drilling.
September 2015
A five-year partnership led to the EPA Refinery Rule, mandating benzene monitoring and refinery pollution reduction in fenceline communities.
April 2015
Infiltrated the BP headquarters in Houston to draw attention to the five year anniversary of the BP Disaster.
2015
2014
After a tank farm leak hospitalized residents, we helped form St. Rose Community One Voice.
Joined the climate march, including an arrest action on Wall Street.
We joined General Russell Honore’s GreenARMY and transitioned the BP Oil Disaster Map to the iWitness Pollution Map, creating the largest U.S. community-gathered environmental data collection.
2013
2012
Released Common Ground report in collaboration with the US Steelworkers Union to highlight refinery accidents and make the case for ending them.
LABB’s collaboration with Residents for Air Neutralization resulted in EPA enforcement action targeting Calumet Refinery. The annual release of oil industry accidents detailed that, since 2005, Louisiana refineries averaged nine accidents a week.
2011
2010
LABB launched the Oil Spill Crisis Map in response to the BP Oil Disaster, the first-ever use of crowd sourcing and crisis mapping for humanitarian purposes in the United States. Collected 954 health and economic impact surveys in Louisiana towns affected by the spill, the largest face-to-face survey of post-disaster health impacts.
LABB launched the Refinery Efficiency Initiative to reduce accidents at the state’s 17refineries. We also held the first Fenceline Neighbors Conference.
2008
2007
Founding Director Anne Rolfes received the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leader Award and the Tides Foundation’s Jane Bagley Lehman Award.
LABB conducted the only citizen-led post-Hurricane Katrina soil sampling of residences impacted by the Murphy Oil spill.
2006
2005
LABB and St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality advocated for the installation of an air monitor network near ExxonMobil’s Chalmette Refining by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The monitors were installed in 2006.
Our Chalmette Health Assessment Project, conducted in collaboration with the St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality, identified elevated levels of respiratory illness in the neighborhood nearest ExxonMobil’s Chalmette Refining.
2004
2003
In response to our petition detailing the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s lax enforcement in St. Charles Parish, the EPA Inspector General began an investigation of Louisiana’s environmental programs. Our health symptom survey in New Sarpy confirmed that people had elevated rates of health problems from chemicals emitted by the refinery.
Our collaboration with the Concerned Citizens of New Sarpy documenting neighborhood pollution and publicizing the refinery’s accident rate (more than two accidents per week) resulted in reduced accidents and an EPA Notice of Violation for Orion Refinery.
2002
2001
Our collaboration with the Concerned Citizens of Norco resulted in Norco residents’ achievement of their long term goal: a Shell buy out of their contaminated property. The state also implemented an air monitoring program in Norco.
Developed the largest community-gathered record of toxic exposure in Louisiana with over 100 air samples and 150 violations of state and federal health standards.
In our first decade, we earned more than 1,000 stories in newspapers, magazines, books, film and TV featuring Louisiana residents standing up to the petrochemical industry.
2000-2009
October 2024:
Released Buried at Buena Vista, identifying enslaved individuals in unmarked graves at a proposed petrochemical site.
January 2024:
Years of advocacy led to a permitting pause on gas exports by the Biden Administration.
2024
2022
November 2022
Partnered with fishermen, including Fishermen Involved in Saving our Heritage (FISH), to bring a flotilla of shrimp boats protesting gas exports.
August 2022
Defeated South Louisiana Methanol in a historic Black community in St. James Parish.
2017
June 2017
Prevented Shell’s St. Rose expansion, stopping 119 tons of pollution through community advocacy and a public hearing.
March 2017
Won a Clean Air Act suit, requiring the EPA to assess health risks and improve emission controls, benefiting communities statewide, especially St. Rose.
January and March 2017
Opposed the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, setting the foundation to defeat Formosa Plastics.
2016
August 2016
Delivered flood debris to the Bureau off Ocean Energy Management to make the link between drilling and catastrophic storms.
March 2016
Took over a federal auction in the Superdome to advocate for the protection of the Gulf of Mexico from drilling.
2014
After a tank farm leak hospitalized residents, we helped form St. Rose Community One Voice.
Joined the climate march, including an arrest action on Wall Street.
2013
We joined General Russell Honore’s GreenARMY and transitioned the BP Oil Disaster Map to the iWitness Pollution Map, creating the largest U.S. community-gathered environmental data collection.
2010
LABB launched the Oil Spill Crisis Map in response to the BP Oil Disaster, the first-ever use of crowd sourcing and crisis mapping for humanitarian purposes in the United States. Collected 954 health and economic impact surveys in Louisiana towns affected by the spill, the largest face-to-face survey of post-disaster health impacts.
2005
LABB and St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality advocated for the installation of an air monitor network near ExxonMobil’s Chalmette Refining by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The monitors were installed in 2006.
2002
Our collaboration with the Concerned Citizens of New Sarpy documenting neighborhood pollution and publicizing the refinery’s accident rate (more than two accidents per week) resulted in reduced accidents and an EPA Notice of Violation for Orion Refinery.
2001
Our collaboration with the Concerned Citizens of Norco resulted in Norco residents’ achievement of their long term goal: a Shell buy out of their contaminated property. The state also implemented an air monitoring program in Norco.
2000
In our first decade, we earned more than 1,000 stories in newspapers, magazines, books, film and TV featuring Louisiana residents standing up to the petrochemical industry.
Developed the largest community-gathered record of toxic exposure in Louisiana with over 100 air samples and 150 violations of state and federal health standards.
Looking Forward:
The Next 25 Years
With a strong track record and deep roots in our state, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade is working toward an economy that centers people and our culture.
This work includes:
Youth Development
We are investing in youth to develop the next generation of activists and leaders.
Economic Development
Weatherizing homes and preserving our culture are important foundations for economic development.
Supporting Fenceline Communities
We will continue our longstanding work with communities to address their specific environmental and economic needs, providing direct assistance and capacity-building support.