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Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Testifies at EPA’s Public Hearing on Louisiana’s Carbon Capture & Sequestration Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2023 Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | gingerl@dscej.org Contact: Valerie Keys | vkeys@skdknick.com New Orleans, LA – Yesterday, Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), joined environmental justice activists and local community leaders in Baton Rouge to testify in opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed approval of Louisiana’s Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) Program during the agencies’ three-day public hearing. The EPA’s public hearing comes at a time when a new wave of gas-burning facilities is being proposed in Louisiana communities where the majority of residents are Black, Indigenous, and poor. Plans for many of these facilities include carbon capture and storage or CCS – a risky process that involves collecting carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams and transporting it via miles of pipeline to areas designated for injecting the carbon dioxide underground for permanent disposal. Last week, the Louisiana legislature attempted to tackle problems in state laws governing carbon dioxide waste injection. One of these laws significantly reduced the time of a company’s liability for operating a carbon dioxide injection well from 50 years, which is required by federal regulations, to 10 years. The recent changes to the state laws trigger another review by the EPA with the opportunity for public notice and comment. “Today’s hearing by the EPA is more than whether DNR should have this permitting authority over the Class VI Underground Injection Control Program, it’s about our future,” said Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. “Who wants a future that repeats the past of leaking and broken-down oil and gas wells that are abandoned by companies? This is what we have with state laws that place the burden on the people of Louisiana to pay for and remedy the damage that occurs from carbon dioxide injection wells, and allow companies to walk away from the liabilities imposed by federal regulations.” DSCEJ also provided the EPA with critical information about the state’s proposed program and the risks of CCS: With a record of failure and mismanagement that resulted in destroying the Bayou Corne community, harming children and adults in Grand Bois, and leaving the state littered with leaking oil and gas wells, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) submitted a flawed application for authority to permit underground injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is collected from the waste stream of industrial facilities. 1. Carbon dioxide is hazardous The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant and toxicant. Carbon dioxide displaces oxygen in the air we need to breathe. High concentrations of carbon dioxide can result in death. Within one minute of CO2 poisoning, a person can pass out and suffer respiratory arrest. On February 22, 2020, in Satartia, Mississippi, people were not able to escape a major CO2 release from a pipeline rupture because their cars stalled out due to the clouds of carbon dioxide that displaced oxygen. 2. Carbon dioxide waste injection increases risks Carbon dioxide corrosion can break down the metals in pipelines and containers and leak out with the potential for contaminating the environment, including waterways and groundwater sources for drinking water. Carbon dioxide can also break down rocks underground and, like an earthquake, cause things to shift above ground. Louisiana has numerous fault lines that increase the potential for earthquake incidents occurring from carbon waste injection. Abandoned oil and unplugged gas wells can serve as straws for carbon dioxide to move upward to the atmosphere and increase climate risks, which defeats the entire purpose for carbon capture and storage or CCS. 3. Oil and gas companies lobbied to shift liability for damages caused by carbon dioxide waste injection to the people of Louisiana The damage that can be caused by a carbon dioxide waste injection well is clearly known to oil and gas companies. Their lobbyists pushed a bill through the Louisiana legislature that shifts liability to the people of Louisiana to pay for remedying this damage. This new law is in conflict with EPA's federal requirements. 4. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a record of failure. The Louisiana State Legislative Auditor has issued reports on DNR’s failure to regulate oil and gas wells. DNR’s failure to protect the Grand Bois community from oil waste led to severe health injuries suffered by children and adults. DNR’s failure to monitor and regulate resulted in the catastrophe of the ground giving way under the Bayou Corne community in 2012. 5. The DNR plans to give management of carbon dioxide waste injection to unnamed and unknown companies. In its application to the EPA, the DNR states that it will outsource the management of carbon dioxide waste injection wells to unnamed and unknown companies. Permanent underground storage of carbon dioxide has never been done before and involves significant risks for communities and our environment. ...
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Testifies at EPA’s Public Hearing on Louisiana’s Carbon Capture & Sequestration Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2023 Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | gingerl@dscej.org Contact: Valerie Keys | vkeys@skdknick.com New Orleans, LA – Yesterday, Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), joined environmental justice activists and local community leaders in Baton Rouge to testify in opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed approval of Louisiana’s Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) Program during the agencies’ three-day public hearing. The EPA’s public hearing comes at a time when a new wave of gas-burning facilities is being proposed in Louisiana communities where the majority of residents are Black, Indigenous, and poor. Plans for many of these facilities include carbon capture and storage or CCS – a risky process that involves collecting carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams and transporting it via miles of pipeline to areas designated for injecting the carbon dioxide underground for permanent disposal. Last week, the Louisiana legislature attempted to tackle problems in state laws governing carbon dioxide waste injection. One of these laws significantly reduced the time of a company’s liability for operating a carbon dioxide injection well from 50 years, which is required by federal regulations, to 10 years. The recent changes to the state laws trigger another review by the EPA with the opportunity for public notice and comment. “Today’s hearing by the EPA is more than whether DNR should have this permitting authority over the Class VI Underground Injection Control Program, it’s about our future,” said Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. “Who wants a future that repeats the past of leaking and broken-down oil and gas wells that are abandoned by companies? This is what we have with state laws that place the burden on the people of Louisiana to pay for and remedy the damage that occurs from carbon dioxide injection wells, and allow companies to walk away from the liabilities imposed by federal regulations.” DSCEJ also provided the EPA with critical information about the state’s proposed program and the risks of CCS: With a record of failure and mismanagement that resulted in destroying the Bayou Corne community, harming children and adults in Grand Bois, and leaving the state littered with leaking oil and gas wells, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) submitted a flawed application for authority to permit underground injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is collected from the waste stream of industrial facilities. 1. Carbon dioxide is hazardous The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant and toxicant. Carbon dioxide displaces oxygen in the air we need to breathe. High concentrations of carbon dioxide can result in death. Within one minute of CO2 poisoning, a person can pass out and suffer respiratory arrest. On February 22, 2020, in Satartia, Mississippi, people were not able to escape a major CO2 release from a pipeline rupture because their cars stalled out due to the clouds of carbon dioxide that displaced oxygen. 2. Carbon dioxide waste injection increases risks Carbon dioxide corrosion can break down the metals in pipelines and containers and leak out with the potential for contaminating the environment, including waterways and groundwater sources for drinking water. Carbon dioxide can also break down rocks underground and, like an earthquake, cause things to shift above ground. Louisiana has numerous fault lines that increase the potential for earthquake incidents occurring from carbon waste injection. Abandoned oil and unplugged gas wells can serve as straws for carbon dioxide to move upward to the atmosphere and increase climate risks, which defeats the entire purpose for carbon capture and storage or CCS. 3. Oil and gas companies lobbied to shift liability for damages caused by carbon dioxide waste injection to the people of Louisiana The damage that can be caused by a carbon dioxide waste injection well is clearly known to oil and gas companies. Their lobbyists pushed a bill through the Louisiana legislature that shifts liability to the people of Louisiana to pay for remedying this damage. This new law is in conflict with EPA's federal requirements. 4. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a record of failure. The Louisiana State Legislative Auditor has issued reports on DNR’s failure to regulate oil and gas wells. DNR’s failure to protect the Grand Bois community from oil waste led to severe health injuries suffered by children and adults. DNR’s failure to monitor and regulate resulted in the catastrophe of the ground giving way under the Bayou Corne community in 2012. 5. The DNR plans to give management of carbon dioxide waste injection to unnamed and unknown companies. In its application to the EPA, the DNR states that it will outsource the management of carbon dioxide waste injection wells to unnamed and unknown companies. Permanent underground storage of carbon dioxide has never been done before and involves significant risks for communities and our environment. ...
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and Bullard Center Commit to Coalition for Green Capital’s Application to The EPA “This is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Support Transformative Change and Accelerate a Just Transition to a Clean Economy” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2023 Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | media@dscej.org Contact: deepsouth@skdknick.com New Orleans, LA – The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) welcomes new strategic partnerships with The Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ). The Bullard Center, launched by the “father of environmental justice” Dr. Robert Bullard, and DSCEJ, led by Dr. Beverly Wright, an appointee of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, have committed their support to CGC's application to seek funding from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and a growing coalition working to establish a national green bank. This partnership underscores CGC's network of green banks, clean energy lenders, and community partners' ongoing dedication to exceeding the 40% EPA investment requirement and rapid deployment throughout all low-income and disadvantaged communities across the country. In line with EPA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and CGC’s mission, The Bullard and DSCEJ will originate community projects throughout low-income and disadvantaged communities that the national green bank can support to address local issues and generate investments towards historically underfunded projects. “We’re thrilled to have the support of the nation’s leading environmental justice champions as we apply for the EPA’s remaining $20 Billion of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund,” said Reed Hundt, chairman of the board and CEO of CGC. “To confront the climate crisis and advance the Administration’s vision of transitioning to a clean economy, our approach must maximize investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities. These environmental justice leaders are confident in our network’s ability to make historic progress for and with communities that need it most. "We are honored to have the Bullard Center and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice support both of our NCIF and CCIA applications to the EPA,” said Eli Hopson, executive director and COO of CGC. “This partnership will deepen our equitable impact in LIDCs and empower communities to actively participate in the transition.” “We’ve decided to partner with the Coalition for Green Capital in its EPA proposal for funding a National Green Bank Network to deliver clean energy projects in low and moderate-income communities served by our HBCUs,” said Dr. Robert D. Bullard, Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University and Co-Chair of the HBCU Climate Change Consortium. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to support transformative change and accelerate a just transition to a clean economy by providing billions of investment dollars to our institutions, businesses, community leaders, non-profits, and communities that too often get left out and left behind.” “The Biden-Harris Administration's historic commitment of federal investments in environmental justice solutions have the potential to transform and revitalize communities after decades of devastation from pollution and environmental racism,” said Dr. Beverly Wright, founder and executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, whose organization was also recently awarded a $13M grant through a partnership between EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy to house Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers. “The Justice40 Initiative delivers efficient and renewable energy, flood protection, workforce development, home weatherization, and other benefits to communities that have suffered for so long. We are excited to partner with the Coalition for Green Capital to expand these funding opportunities in collaboration with environmental justice communities across America.” “Environmental justice must be a top priority as we seek to unlock billions and accelerate clean energy investments across the country,” said William J. Barber III, Director of Equitable Investments and Energy Justice at CGC. “Our partnership with the Bullard Center and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, possess both the scholarship and the trusted relationships in frontline communities to enable us to successfully engage and center their needs in the deployment of technologies, and make this transition one that is done by and with communities, not to them nor on their behalf.” CGC has announced similar partnerships with Dream.Org’s Green For All; Michigan Saves; Colorado Clean Energy Fund; Missouri Green Bank; Puerto Rico Green Energy Trust; Finance New Orleans; the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA); CleanSource Capital; the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank; Columbus Region Green Fund (CRGF); Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF); the Climate Access Fund; Clean Energy Fund of Texas; Growth Opportunity Partners, Inc.; the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA); DC Green Bank, Connecticut Green Bank, the Inter-Tribal Trade Consortium (ITTC) and Enervee. ### ABOUT THE DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice provides opportunities for communities, scientific researchers, and decision-makers to collaborate on projects that promote the rights of all people to be free from environmental harm as it impacts health, jobs, housing, education, and general quality of life. A major goal of the Center continues to be the development of leaders in communities of color along the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor and the broader Gulf Coast Region that are disproportionately harmed by pollution and vulnerable to climate change. For more information, visit https://www.dscej.org. ABOUT THE BULLARD CENTER The Robert D. Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University was launched to address longstanding issues of systemic inequality and structural racism that cause disproportionate pain, suffering, and death in Black and other people of color communities faced with environmental and climate justice concerns. Texas Southern University is a student-centered comprehensive doctoral university committed to ensuring equality, offering innovative programs that are responsive to its urban setting, and transforming diverse students into lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and creative leaders in their local, national, and global communities. To learn more or get involved, visit https://www.bullardcenter.org. ABOUT COALITION FOR GREEN CAPITAL The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC), doing business as the American Green Bank Consortium, is a 501(c)(3) chartered specifically to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution and redress climate and energy-related environmental injustice. Green banks are a proven finance model that uses public and philanthropic funds to mobilize private investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other decarbonization technologies. For over a decade, the Coalition for Green Capital has led the Green Bank movement, working at the federal, state, and local levels in the U.S. and countries around the world. For more information, visit: https://coalitionforgreencapital.com....
