Refinery Reform Campaign

Concerned Citizens of Norco * Alliance for Affordable Energy * Gulf Restoration Network * Louisiana Bucket Brigade * Refinery Reform Campaign * US Public Interest Research Group * Xavier Deep South Center for Environmental Justice

CONTACT:
Iris Carter, Concerned Citizens of Norco,
(504) 231 - 8457
Anne Rolfes, Director, Louisiana Bucket Brigade,
(504) 914 - 3164
Denny Larson, Refinery Reform Campaign,
(800) 670 - 3841

AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS BLAST SEN. LANDRIEU'S VOTE FOR INCREASED POLLUTION

"Seven weeks after her victory, she's already selling us out."

GROUPS ASK SENATOR TO TAKE A TOXIC TOUR OF POLLUTED COMMUNITIES

New Orleans — In a press conference in front of Senator Landrieu's office today, environmental groups and African American community members who live in the shadow of oil refineries scorched newly re-elected Mary Landrieu for her vote last week against an amendment to protect them from refinery pollution. "Only a few weeks ago Senator Landrieu was begging for votes from every black face she could find," said Iris Carter of Norco who lives near the Shell refinery and chemical plant. "She had a chance to stand up for us against big oil, but she sold out."

The groups are sending a list of questions via overnight delivery to the Senator regarding pollution and health and have asked for her answers in writing within two weeks. They also asked that she take a tour of their neighborhoods and provide a list of petrochemical industry representatives that she met with in the days preceding the vote. The groups have a meeting with an aid to Senator Landrieu immediately following the press conference.

Senator Landrieu was one of only five Democrats who voted no last week on the Edwards / Lieberman amendment. The amendment would have required the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a health study before implementing President Bush's changes that weaken the Clean Air Act and allow increased pollution. "Over 50% of African Americans in Louisiana live within three miles of an oil refinery," said Anne Rolfes of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. "This was a moderate amendment that would have considered the health of the very population that Senator Landrieu courted. She broke her campaign promises to African Americans in one catastrophic vote."

The Edwards/Lieberman amendment would have stopped EPA from using FY ‘03 funds appropriated by Congress to implement any of the Clean Air Act changes made final last month and would have required a National Academy of Sciences study on the health and environmental impacts of the changes. The weaker amendment that ultimately passed mandated but did not require the study. Senator Landrieu voted "yes" on that amendment.

In the days preceding the vote, environmental groups throughout Louisiana and in Washington, D.C. bombarded Senator Landrieu's office with health studies and data regarding the devastating health impacts of increased pollution.

Louisiana ranked 2nd in the country for the highest industrial releases of dioxin, a known cancer causing agent. In the first year of dioxin's tracking on the Toxics Release Inventory, 4 Louisiana zip codes were in the national top 20 for releases, two in Plaquemine, one in Lake Charles, and one in Baton Rouge, according to a report released the day of the vote by U.S. PIRG.

"Polluters in Louisiana discharge millions of pounds of toxic pollution while the people of Louisiana have no knowledge of how it is affecting their health,” said Kellan Hays, citizen outreach director with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s Gulf States office in New Orleans. "To clean up our state, Louisiana must not continue to be a national leader in the amount of toxic pollution released into our air and water. The Edwards amendment would have helped keep these releases in check."

The new rules enacted by the Bush administration allow industry to include accidents as part of their calculations in forecasting future emissions. "Orion Refinery dumped 2 million pounds of pollution on the community in a six month period through accidents," said Denny Larson of the Refinery Reform Campaign. "How can you justify 2 million more pounds of pollution on these neighbors? We are appealing to Senator Landrieu to be the voice of the community members who will have to breathe all of this pollution."

Neighbors of petrochemical plants have visited Senator Landrieu in Washington, D.C. twice over the past year and a half. "We have been to her office in D.C. and told her that these plants are killing us." said Ms. Carter, "Our message isn't sinking in. She needs to come to our neighborhood and see and smell for herself. That's what we are asking her to do today."