Louisiana Environmental Alliance Drives Awareness, Calls For Justice With New Billboard Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southwest Louisiana, (May 13, 2024) — Five billboards went up on the I-10 Corridor this week to protest environmental corruption in Louisiana and the resulting disastrous health impacts for residents and wildlife. These billboards are a collaboration between Mossville Environmental Action Now, Habitat Recovery Project, and For a Better Bayou. The project is an educational and awareness-building effort focused on exposing destructive industrial and resource extraction practices. The campaign was launched to raise awareness and fight for environmental justice in Southwest Louisiana.
The billboards are strategically placed and curated to act as a voice for long-ignored residents. They vividly depict the stark reality faced by communities, displaying messages such as:
“This bridge is 30+ years expired. The new one will have a toll…Meanwhile, these heavy industries have received billions in tax exemptions. And” These Corporations are recipients of Billions of Dollars in Taxpayer Handouts Through the industrial Tax exemption program ITEP”.
Drivers are encouraged to visit FairTaxesLA.com, where they’ll learn about the corporations and special interests benefiting from the government's tax exemption programs and the region’s neglected infrastructure that is the result of not properly taxing the corporations that profit from Louisiana’s natural resources.
The campaign sheds light on the health hazards caused by industrial pollution and how corporate profits have been prioritized over public health. Two of the five billboards point readers to gulfrising.com, a podcast highlighting the stories of residents and environmental activists who’ve had livelihoods destroyed or impacted by pollution.
One billboard declares: “This community has been fighting for environmental justice and a livable future for our children for 40 years.”
Another states: “ We pray for our waters. In the 1990’s millions of pounds of harmful chemical, EDC, spilled into our waters, millions of pounds of EDC remain in Calcasieu Parish waters.”
Decades have passed since ethlyenedichloride (EDC) spilled into the Calcasieu River and Lake Charles, but contaminants remain, undermining the health of the community and wildlife populations. These billboards are a testament to the unwavering dedication of the local residents fighting to right these wrongs.
A final billboard urges the public to speak up:“ Use your voice to fight for a healthier community. These flares are harmful corporate pollution, and our resistance is sacred and joyful.”
That billboard points readers to WhenDreamersBecomeHeros.com, a landing page for a documentary highlighting the power of communities to build a sustainable future amidst the complex challenges of the oil and gas industry. It reminds us that our voices matter. Debra Remirez, CEO and founder of Mossville Environmental Action Now, states “Our world and home is not a dumping site for sacrificial greed, we refuse to die by the hands of industry.”
The billboards urge locals and passing motorists alike to pay attention and mobilize to demand accountability from elected leaders.
“Most citizens of Calcasieu parish are unaware of the heroes in their community that have been doing this work for decades, like Ms. Debra Ramirez, who had the idea to create this billboard campaign,” said Aylssa Portaro, Founder of Habitat Recovery Project and a resident of southwestern Louisiana.
While the Parish of Cameron has an abandoned hospital and crumbling community buildings, “most people are unaware local industries have been exempted from $702 million in taxes through the ITEP program in Cameron Parish alone,” Portaro said. “We need people to know that.”
The billboards will be up through May, and may be extended.
Its impact resonates far beyond the roadside and symbolizes a united front in the fight for environmental justice, propelled by resilience, resolve, and community members that refuse to be silent. For more information please visit habitatrecovery.org.
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Media Contact:
Alyssa Portaro
Director, Habitat Recovery Project
Phone: 973-632-1695
Email: team@habitatrecovery.org