Louisiana's environmental health and justice movement needs new blood and more young African-American leaders. Our Environmental Justice Corps will develop new participants in the field. The program targets the region's Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Current activities include:

• Refinery Efficiency Initiative (REI):  The goal of the REI is to reduce accidents and the total volume of chemicals released at all 17 refineries in the state by 2014.  EJ Corps members will be involved in data collection, working with technical experts to translate the analysis, and the development of outreach and education materials.  We will highlight the critical issues of environmental health in schools with proximity to polluting refineries and disaster preparedness in a region whose petrochemical industry is extremely vulnerable to storms.
   
• Fenceline Neighbors Network (FNN):  The goal of the FNN is to build a statewide coalition of Fenceline Neighbors who can advocate collectively on environmental justice issues.  EJ Corps fellows will be involved in community organizing in 12 parishes on the issues raised in the REI and training community members on taking air samples and filling out odor logs.   We will be working intensively in these parishes to develop local advocacy platforms in time for the Fenceline Neighbors Conference in April 2010 where a statewide action plan will be developed.
   
• Ongoing Technical Assistance: LABB exists to serve communities affected by toxics in their environment.  We give trainings on using simple tools like the air sampling buckets, odor logs and community-organizing techniques to build the power of disenfranchised communities to advocate for their health and well-being.