By  Wilma Subra     Subra Company     Louisiana Environmental Action Network More information on symposium: http://superfund.oregonstate.edu/LSUSymposium1.13

1. By Wilma Subra
Subra Company
Louisiana Environmental Action Network

2. 
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2005, August 29 - Hurricane Katrina - 20 - 30 foot storm
surge
2005, September 24 - Hurricane Rita - 15 foot storm surge
2008, April - Mississippi River Flood - Bonnet Carre’ Spillway
opened to protect New Orleans, Atchafalaya River flooded
2008 Very large Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico off
Louisiana and Texas caused by nutrient runoff loading from
fertilizers applied in the mid west
2008, July 23 - #6 fuel oil spill in the Mississippi River in
New Orleans, drinking water intakes along the river shut
down, 100 miles of damage and destruction down river below
New Orleans

3. 
2008, September 1 - Hurricane Gustav - 12 foot storm surge
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2008, September 12 - Hurricane Ike - 15 foot storm surge
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2010, April 20 - BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster
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2011 Spring - Mississippi and Atchafalaya river flooding,
Bonnet Carre’ and Morganza spillways opened
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2012, September 29 - Hurricane Isaac -detrimental impact
to southeast Louisiana
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These Natural and Man Made Disasters have resulted in
extensive and severe environmental, human health and
economic impacts to communities in Louisiana

4. 
Immediately responded to aerosol air emissions impacted coastal communities as far inland as 100
miles along the coastal areas of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and the pan handle of Florida
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Worked to protect the health of fishermen who
worked for BP as clean up workers
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Federal Court on May 2 - to insure cleanup workers
did not loose their rights
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Federal Court on May 7 - to require BP to provide
proper training and protective gear to cleanup
workers

5. 
LEAN began giving out protective gear to
fishermen working as cleanup workers
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The fishermen, their families and other cleanup
workers were not allowed to speak up
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Marylee Orr and I became the voice of
fishermen/cleanup workers
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This occurred in 2010 and 2011 and it was and
still is not acceptable for workers to be made sick
in a work place environment

6. 
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Conducted workshops throughout the entire northern Gulf coast
to provide desperately needed information
Monitored the EPA air monitoring programs and recommended
new locations for monitoring stations
Developed fact sheets on health impacts associated with the
BP crude and dispersants used
Worked with Federal and State agencies to protect the health of
community members and cleanup workers
Collected sediment/soil, oysters, shrimp, crabs, fish, etc.
samples and analyzed for BP crude and dispersant components
Issued e-alert reports immediately when data became available

7. 
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Monitored the environmental impacts along the coastal areas
Monitored the health impacts and conducted health surveys of the
impacts on human health being experienced by coastal residents,
current and former cleanup workers and tourist
Evaluated volatile organic chemicals in blood of cleanup workers and
community members who were and are very ill
Conducted workshops all along the coastal areas of the Gulf, presenting
results of sampling, monitoring and health surveys
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Evaluated contaminants in seafood over time at designated locations
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Opened a clinic to specifically treat victims of the BP Disaster
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Continuing on a daily basis to respond to request by community
members for information and assistance

8. 
Communities are negatively impacted by environmental hazards
particularly from disasters
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sediment sludge washed on shore by hurricanes
hazardous materials leaked or spilled by hurricanes and flooding
flood waters carried contaminants
oil spills
contaminated aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna
Communities experience numerous, severe and wide spread
physical and mental health impacts and degradation of their
quality of life caused by the cumulative impacts of a host of
different chemicals and stressors associated with disasters
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Many communities in Louisiana have differential preparedness
and ability to recover from exposure to disasters
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The lack of adequate health care throughout the state of
Louisiana also results in a decreased ability to recover
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All of these factors result in decreased community
resilience

9. 
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Providing health and scientific information to communities
enables community members to become educated and
empowered
Results in communities being educated about factors impacting
their health and quality of life
Allows the communities to integrate the knowledge into
their specific community situations and develop strategies to
recover
Allows communities to educate governmental agencies, elected
officials, business owners, health care providers and the general
public concerning their specific situations
Allows communities to take measures to reduce their exposure,
improve human health and their quality of life, reduce risk,
recover and become more resilient

10. 
What odors are you smelling
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How long did the odor event last
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What health impacts are you experiencing
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How long did the health impacts last
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How many individuals in your household were impacted
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Loss work time due to event
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Impacts on pets and livestock
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What is the source or potential source of the odor
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Date, time, duration and location of the event
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Wind speed and direction from TV Weather Channel

11. 
Immediate and ongoing documentation of odor
events and associated health impacts
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Record of frequency of events
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Possible correlation with chemical release events
occurring in the community
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A good base of information to determine if and which
health symptoms are being experienced
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Determine if sufficient impacts are being experienced
to indicate a health survey would be appropriate

12. 
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Check with the parish Office of Emergency Response, LA DEQ
EDMS data base, and National Response Center to determine if
an accidental release has been reported for the time period of
the odor event
Determine the health impacts of chemicals that may have been
released
Correlate the health impacts associated with the chemical
released to the health impacts experienced by community
members
Use the data from accidental releases to determine
specific chemicals to monitor for in the air and water
Use the data to request governmental agencies to provide
ambient monitoring and/or to include requirements in the
facility permit conditions

13. 
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In August 2006, the NEJAC Council issued the report:
The 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes and Vulnerable
Populations - Recommendations for Future Disaster
Preparedness/Response
The Gulf Coast Hurricane Work Group of NEJAC was
formed in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Chaired
by Wilma Subra)
The charge to the work group dealt with identifying
effective methods for EPA to address vulnerabilities of all
communities to protect health and environmental risks
and harms in EPA’s response and rebuilding, and
preparedness and prevention efforts in the aftermath of
natural disasters similar to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

14. 
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Enhance EPA’s disaster preparedness and
response procedures
Facilitate risk communications and
environmental health response
Foster environmental sound redevelopment

15. 
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Identify vulnerable populations and their
environmental and/or public health needs
Ensure communication with, and input from,
vulnerable populations in both the
development and implementation of new
disaster response procedures

16. 
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By November 2, 2006, EPA had responded to
several of the recommendations by issuing a
memorandum entitled "Incorporating
Environmental Justice Considerations into EPA
Disaster Preparedness Response Procedures
When Hurricanes Gustav and Ike struck the
northern gulf coast in September 2008, the
recommendations and follow up activities were
responsible for improved responses in dealing
with vulnerable populations

17. 
Survey of commercial fisher families
harvesting seafood from the coastal areas
and off shore and seafood processing
facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida consisting of Vietnamese,
Cambodians, Asians, Islanos, African
Americans, Native Americans, and Caucasians

18. Rank
Event
#1
2010 BP Crude Oil Disaster
#2
September 2005 Hurricane Rita
#3
August 2005 Hurricane Katrina
#4
September 2008 Hurricane Gustav
#5
September 2008 Hurricane Ike
The fisher families reported loosing up to $80,000 to $530,000
as a result of each disaster. The seafood processors
reported loosing up to $100,000 to $2,500,000 for each
disaster.

19. 
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The commercial fisher families and seafood
processors have been negatively impacted by the
hurricanes of 2005 and 2008 and severely impacted
by the BP Crude Oil Disaster.
The fisher families surveyed projected the negative
impacts associated with the BP Crude Oil Disaster will
last 30 years into the future.
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The seafood processors estimate the negative
impacts will last 12 to 20 years into the future.
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Fishermen surveyed estimate 60 to 70% loss in the
quantity of seafood harvested in the next 10 years.
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Work has continued with these fisher families and
seafood processors to assist in their recovery.

20. 
University/Community Based Participatory Research
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Fishing Communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and
Alabama
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The fishing communities partners are trained to
◦ collect seafood samples of brown and white shrimp, blue
crabs, oysters and fin fish (red snapper, grouper, mackerel,
speckled trout)
◦ process and package seafood samples for shipment to the
lab at UTMB in Texas
◦ record data
◦ document with photos

21. 
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Seafood samples are analyzed for petrogenic Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHs) suspected of causing adverse effects
including immunosuppression, developmental abnormalities and
cancer
Sample results are presented first to the fishing community
partners that collected the samples, then to all the community
partners before being released to the general public and for
publication
The sample results are presented in the form of quantity of
seafood of each species and collection location that can be
consumed on a frequency basis by age group without resulting
in increased risk.
The results presented in this fashion allows the community
partners to make decisions on where to collect seafood that they
will feed to their families and how frequently they will provide
the seafood for consumption by their families.
These fishing community partners are know to consume above
average amounts of gulf seafood and are in desperate need of
information on the safety of the seafood they harvest and feed to
their families.

22. 
Information and knowledge is important to the level of resilience
in communities
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Data must always be backed up by technical information
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Information must be incorporated into the issues and situations
in the impacted communities
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Assistance provided to communities must work towards
improving human health, environmental quality and quality of
life in the communities
The information and knowledge must also be used to educate
and inform a broader base of stakeholders - ultimately result in
improvements in the overall community members
Responding to the needs of the environmental communities
must occur in a timely manner

23. 
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Frequently response continues even when recovery is
taking place
In some cases restoration activities are targeted in areas
that are still contaminated and remediation is not being
targeted prior to restoration activities
Destruction of Quality of Life for many communities,
leaves the communities with no way to recover, especially
in areas where the land on which they lived is now open
water
Resilience is critical to recovery and survival on behalf of
not only the impacted community members, but the
responders, governmental agencies, businesses and the
NGO communities