View from the Chair

Saved Some Trees

     It is always a great feeling when we get to say we actually saved something. The Acadian Group of Sierra Club recently received confirmation that the St. Martin Parish School Board had reversed its decision to cut cypress off of a 640 acre tract in the Atchafalaya Basin. We first heard about it from our Delta Chapter Atchafalaya Basin issue chair Dean Wilson and the Acadian group jumped in to help. That meant showing up at School Board meetings time after time, making presentations about the wisdom and economic advantages of keeping the trees standing, launching a letter writing campaign, working with media, and joining a lawsuit. Eventually five of the most active environmental organizations in south Louisiana signed on.

     It was the excellent work of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic that really got the attention of the school board and prevented them from making the illegal cut. Our thanks go to our issue chair Dean Wilson and to the Law Clinic for their leadership in the effort to save the trees.

The Session is Done

     Much to everyone's relief the regular session of the Louisiana State Legislature adjourned at 5:20 PM on June 4. We highlight actions on environmental issues in our article this issue about the "Environmental Good Guys" in the legislature. Our complete legislative report is available on the Delta Chapter Blog (click for more information).

     One legislative action that will require our continuing involvement is the successful joint house and senate resolution to request that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries study Bayou Teche for inclusion in the State Historic and Scenic Rivers System. We will be working with Bayou Teche communities to build support for legislation to make the formal designation.

    We are looking for a Sierra Club volunteer who would like to help us to achieve this goal. It would require some time over a period of a year to make phone calls and talk to people about the advantages of Historic and Scenic Rivers System designation. Contact Woody Martin at [email protected]

Thanks

     This is to thank all Sierra Club members who sent donations in response to our 2012 March Appeal . Your donations go directly to the Chapter to support our work in Louisiana. Your dollars are very important but we also appreciate that each donation is a vote of confidence in Delta Chapter's effort to represent you in advocating for enjoyment and protection of the natural beauty of our state. We hope we can rely on your continued support.

Woody Martin, Chair

Sierra Club Delta Chapter

[email protected]

Environmental Good Guys in the Recent

Louisiana Legislative Session

     Our thanks goes to "Environmental Good Guys" in the recent session of the Louisiana legislature who introduced and fought for environmentally friendly bills that are of interest to Sierra Club members. Our list of environmental good guys is small but growing as we increase support and visibility for environmental issues in Louisiana. Our list would include the following:

     Stephen Ortego Dem. represents district 39 which includes parts of Lafayette and St. Landry Parishes. Rep Ortego was serving his first term this past legislative session. He introduced and fought for several good bicycle bills, introduced a Sierra Club resolution to have Bayou Teche studied for inclusion in the state's scenic rivers system, and he asked hard questions on bills in the governor's agenda to radically change public education, sell state assets, and cut state employee pensions. Rep Ortego was active in legislation to provide for use of natural gas fueled vehicles in the state fleet, and was very instrumental in defending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Medical Center from critical budget cuts.

     John Bell Edwards, Dem. district 72 represents East Feliciana, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes. Rep Edwards introduced and carried to successful conclusion HB 957 which provides for the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids. This bill writes into law and strengthens requirements that are included in rules recently promulgated by DNR Office of Conservation, and are comparable to laws on the books in other states where hydraulic fracturing for natural gas is occurring.

     Senator Fred Mills Rep., district 22, St. Martin Parish put up a great fight but was not successful in getting legislation to require a federal standard EIS to assess the impact on the Chicot Aquifer of the proposed expansion of the Jefferson Island salt dome gas storage facility. The project proposed by AGL Resources would draw huge amounts of fresh water from the aquifer and discharge saline wastewater to the gulf. Industry ganged up on Senator Fred fearing a precedent that would be set by the proposed legislation. Citizens in the area of Lake Peigneur were leading the effort and were greatly disappointed by the failure of proposed legislation to get out of committee.   

     Representative Walter Leger Dem. district 91, New Orleans proposed two bills of interest to the environmental community. HB 681 would have removed the preemptive authority of banks to disapprove loans made for energy efficiency improvements to industrial facilities in sustainable energy financing districts. This would have cleared an obstacle that has prevented any such loans from being made. The bankers were against it and were able to stop the bill in committee. The failure of HB 681 means that the existing sustainable energy financing district law which was fatally amended by the banking lobby remains in effect. The law needs to be fixed in order to regain its intended positive effects on job creation and energy efficiency improvements in buildings.

     A big success for Rep Leger was his introduction of the Louisiana First Hiring Act which has been signed into law as Act 414 by the governor. The Act provides that preference will be given to hiring eligible Louisiana workers for contract work performed for the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration with funds from the RESTORE Act or settlement funds from BP. Work performed to implement the Comprehensive Master Plan for Coastal Protection is also included. This legislation is born out of our bad experience with out of state workers getting so much of the cleanup work after hurricane Katrina.

     Senator J. P. Morrell Dem. district 3, New Orleans proposed three pieces of legislation to protect children from exposure to lead in buildings. The laws require owners of certain child-occupied facilities to conduct an inspection for the presence of lead hazards and to disclose results of lead testing, any lead hazards and lead abatement activities. One of the bills requires state and local agencies engaged in lead hazard reduction activities to publish on their Internet website the standards related to those activities. All three bills were passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor.  

The Energy Wars
 

     A major issue of contention in this year's elections is what kind of energy system America should have. The same forces pushing to roll back U.S. environmental laws are also against diversifying our nation's energy system, especially in a way that prioritizes sustainability.

The Sierra Club is among the organizations pointing out that increasing our reliance on more polluting sources of energy will hurt the economy. A new Sierra Club report, "Locked In", examines how coal plants are economically as well as environmentally risky.[i] Their high capital costs, along with pollution and health effects, make them a bad investment. There are coal plants that have re-engineered to keep themselves in the game - but they have been hurt by the anti-regulatory suits filed by industry interests and some states showing that regressive efforts cause economic as well as environmental damage.[ii]

      Coal is used to produce electricity, but energy for transportation is another source of conflict over what kind of future to build for. A common myth is that rises in oil and gasoline prices are being caused by environmental regulations - especially those that still protect a few areas of public lands and waters. The Baton Rouge Group of the Sierra Club has argued against these myths that are being spread by politicians and pundits.[iii] (Strangely the myth doesn't apply when prices fall...) U.S. domestic production has actually increased dramatically over the past several years.[iv]

       Another myth is that American oil and gas resources are "locked up" by regulations - but this fails to account for the fact most public lands are open for leasing, or that large areas of public land that are leased are not being drilled on.[v] Getting past the myths would help our country arrive at a sustainable energy policy.

Don't Forget the Attack on America's Environment at Election Time

Contributed by the Baton Rouge Group of the Sierra Club

     Members of the Sierra Club know that since the 2010 mid-term election, an unrelenting attack on America's environmental laws, policies, and regulations has been led by the GOP leadership in the House and Senate. The record in the House has been truly appalling - bills have passed to curtail funding, eliminate programs, and restrict implementation of laws and rules protecting our air, land, water, and public health.[i]

     These laws include landmark legislation that has made America a healthier - and more prosperous place to live - the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act - and the agencies that enforce them, especially the Environmental Protection Agency. Several of the GOP Presidential candidates called for eliminating the EPA entirely.[ii]

     In the face of these attacks, the EPA has continued to enforce the law, and carry out the regulations required by the bills passed by Congress (prior to this one.) These have included reductions in carbon emissions, mercury pollution, and releases from drilling.[iii]

     An often repeated justification for these extreme attacks is the claim that the EPA and regulations in general, are "killing jobs." Numerous studies show otherwise - the net economic effect of regulations is positive.[iv]Why the alternate reality in Congress? The money from special interests plays a big role.[v]  These are not partisan conclusions - they reflect a sad reality. Republican members of the Sierra Club need to engage their candidates and members of Congress on this. They have a better chance of being listened to than anyone else.

Delta Chapter Celebrates 120 Years of Conservation

     On May 28, 1892, legendary conservationist John Muir founded the Sierra Club. From its beginnings as a small, dedicated group of pioneer conservationists working to protect the unspoiled beauty of the Sierra Range, the Club has grown to become the largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the country, with over 1.4 million members and supporters today. On May 28, 2012, the Sierra Club marked 120 years as a society promoting conservation through civic engagement.

     To celebrate this landmark anniversary, the Delta Chapter and Acadian Group held an Anniversary Bash and Fundraiser at the world-famous Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette, Louisiana. Attendees enjoyed fresh strawberries, homemade Jambalaya (meat and vegetarian), and homegrown summer salad. Local Sierra Club members donated items for a silent auction, including nature photographs and a Civil War era historical map of the Atchafalaya Basin. The highlight of the night was the fantastic live music performed by classic rock bands Stranger than Friction and the Zig Zag Wanderers. The event netted a few dollars for the Chapter, with 50% of all proceeds going to help the search to find Mickey Shunick, who went missing from Lafayette on May 19.

     Thanks to all the members and volunteers who helped to make this event a success. Because it was such a blast, the Delta Chapter and Groups are committed to doing more fun events like this in the months and years to come!

Earl's Pearls
 

Bringing his unique slant to the war against the environment for over 30 years.

In Memoriam for Dr. Donald  Bradford  

Dr. Donald Muir Bradburn, M.D., long-time Louisiana conservationist and photographer. Dr. Bradburn's death on July 4, 2012, marks the end of a long life devoted to saving and photographing Louisiana's wetlands. He was a true hero for Louisiana's wetlands, and all of his awards and honors are well-deserved. Dr. Bradford was a founding member of the Delta Chapter.

(Reprinted from the Times-Picayune's Obituary Section):

 Monarch of the Swamp Honored

 

MARRERRO, LA: Honor "the Monarch of the Swamp" was honored at a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 19, at the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Representatives of the park, the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will mount a plaque near the Monarch, an old-growth baldcypress tree estimated to be about 700 years old. The Monarch is located just off the Bayou Coquille Trail in the preserve, about a quarter mile from the Bayou Coquille Trail parking lot. Tithe preserve is located at 66588 Barataria Blvd. in Marrero (near Crown Point). More information is available at 504-689 9-3690 ext. 100 or at www.nnps.gov/jela.

 

Every Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy tree must be at least 200 years old and growing in a place currently protected from logging. With the support of the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission, the Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy (http://wwww.lapurchaasecypresslegaacy.net/) works to raise awareness of the value of swamps and the threats to their survival by linking old-growth trees like the Monarch to major events in Louisiana history like this year's bicentennial of Louisiana statehood. According to Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy creator Harvey Stern, such landmarks create an ideal opportunity to link Louisiana's cultural and historic heritage with stewardship of the state's ecological inheritance.

"Jean Lafitte is honored that 'the M monarch of thee Swamp' has been chosen as a legacy tree," said Barras aria Preserve Supervisory Park Ranger Aleutian Scott. "The Monarch is well known to the crowds of people who walk the Bayou Coquille Trail every year. It serves as a symbol both of the people and industries who built Louisiana's past and of new ventures like ecotourism. The Monarch is a reminder that the swamps and wetland in a few places like the preserve once covered this entire area."

MEMBERS OF AUDUBON COUNCIL INCLUDING SIERRA CLUB LEADERS BARRY KOHL AT FAR LEFT, HARVEY STERN NEXT TO PARK RANGER , FRANK EHRET AND WILLIE FONTENOT IN FOREGROUND

wwww.nps.gov

About the National Park Service: Moore than 20,0000 National Park Service employees care for America's 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history andcreate close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.nps.gov. (Article exerpted from NPS press release) 

 

Rutherford Beach Trip Documents "Pristine" Beach

     In Cameron Parish, Southwest Louisiana, 15 miles east of where the Calcasieu River lets out into the Gulf in an area known as the "Cajun Riviera," sit Rutherford and Hackberry Beach. Last summer, Acadian Group members led by Chair Harold Shoeffler set out on a beachcombing trip there, and along with shells, interesting pieces of driftwood, and rosy cheeks, the group came back with some other curious items: a road sign from Mexico, a perfectly good hand saw, some fresh (and not so fresh) coconuts, and a crab trap or two.

Rutherford beach has no hotels, marinas, casinos, or any other large developments, and what few camps existed there were mostly wiped out by Hurricane Rita. As a result, there is no one to sweep the beach for tourists or residents, and the trash that rolls in with the tide begins to accumulate. Rutherford is a perfect example of what a "pristine" beach along the Gulf looks like in 2012-plastic bottles, shoes, garbage of all sorts from shrimp and oilfield boats...basically anything that gets thrown out into your local waterway will eventually work its way into the Gulf, and either sink or wash ashore. There's also the issue of water quality. According to a recent report by the NRDC, Cameron Parish beaches are the worst in the nation for contamination-nearly 44% of all water samples taken there were over the safe limit for levels of bacteria. Grand Isle fared a bit better, with only 8% of samples taken showing unsafe levels.

     On June 30th of this year, a small group of Sierra Club members and their friends and families set out to document the abundant types of trash on the coast. Here's what they found: on average, each 10 yard stretch of beach-from shore to grassline-contains 19 plastic bottles, 6 glass bottles, 15 plastic fragments, 4 metal containers or fragments, 2 plastic toys, a half a light bulb, 3 shoes, and about 5 feet of nylon rope. Other interesting items included a broken cooler, caulk guns, fishing nets, a push broom, giant pieces of yellow foam, a propane tank, a broken fishing basket, and one of those little rubber bracelets people wear to show their support for some cause (we're betting that the cause wasn't "Protect the Environment, Don't Litter"). All of these things were found along Hackberry beach, an area adjacent to Rutherford that has no car access and therefore has very little human activity.

     The Sierra Club is dedicated to helping to educate the public on the poor state of our beaches, and steps we can take to start to clean them up. The Acadian Group will be sending out a press release about its findings to raise awareness and hopefully recruit new members to help in the cause. If you'd like to do something, call or write us at one of the contacts listed in this newsletter.