Analyze

Oschner was founded on January 2, 1942, in New Orleans by Alton Oschner, an American surgeon and medical researcher. Before founding Oschner, he worked at Tulane University and organized a surgical teaching program at New Orleans Charity Hospital. Oschner Medical Center, formerly known as the Oschner Clinic, was the first to document the connection between cancer and cigarette use. This work mobilized Oschner to expose the hazards of tobacco and pioneer the war against smoking. 

Blum, Alan. 1999. “Alton Ochsner, MD, 1896-1981 Anti-Smoking Pioneer.” The Ochsner Journal 1 (3): 102–5.

The LDEQ’s organizational predecessor was founded as the Stream Control Commission (SCC) in 1940. 

The death of a young man in Iberville Parish later spurred the formation of the Department of Environmental Quality. In 1978, 19-year-old Kirtley Jackson died from hydrogen sulfide fumes from an unlicensed hazardous waste pit. In 1983, the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act authorized the established of LDEQ. 

In 1988, environmental scientist Paul Templet was appointed to head the LDEQ by Gov. Buddy Roemer. At the time, the first annual National Toxics Release Inventory had just been released and Louisiana was listed as one of the worst offenders. Templet and Roemer worked with the Legislature to pass a law “requiring that toxic pollution statewide be cut in half over a decade, a goal Louisiana industry met and exceeded” (Russell 2019). Templet developed a plan to create environmental scorecards tied to tax incentives and other incentives. Under Templet, LDEQ took action to protect human health from pollution. For instance, LDEQ fined and revoked a permit from Marine Shale Processors, a company using dangerous industrial waste in an area of St. Mary Parish with a cluster of rare pediatric cancers. Templet describes his work in LDEQ in “Defending the Public Domain: Pollution, Subsidies and Poverty” (2001). In this paper, Templet includes data showing how investment and jobs in Louisiana increased as pollution declined (contrary to common industry warnings). 

The president of Marine Shale Processors ultimately spent $400,000 on ads against Roemer in the 1991 gubernatorial primary. Roemer ended up in third place behind Edwin Edwards and white supremacist David Duke.

Dr. Paul Templet Interview. 1988. Louisiana: The State We’re In.  PBS Digital Collection. http://ladigitalmedia.org/video_v2/asset-detail/LSWI-1116-05_Templet. 

Russell, Gordon. 2019. “How an Environmental Regulator Became Known for Protecting Industry.” ProPublica. December 19, 2019. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-an-environmental-regulator-became-known-for-protecting-industry.

Kaare Johnson Talks. 2023. “Dr. Paul Templet, Former Head of La DEQ Joins Kaare To Discuss Lack of Enforcement And More!” Streamed on Sep 11, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-8jJtKRI2w. 

Templet, Paul H. 2001. “Defending the Public Domain: Pollution, Subsidies and Poverty.” SSRN Scholarly Paper. Rochester, NY. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.333280.

Nuestra Casa San Mateo County (NCSMC) was founded in 2002 to serve the needs of the emerging Latino population in East Pao Alto. Early programming included Parent Academy and English Language Program, today its programming has expanded to Housing and Environmental Justice work too.

The Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ) was founded in 2016; they initially launched a countywide needs assessment for disadvantaged communities. The early organizational structure was around the OCEJ, contributing to reports in collaboration with UC Irvine Community Resilence Projects. They also worked with other EiJ organizations to host collaborative efforts to study various data, including; toxic lead exposures in Santa Ana, soil samples from homes, community gardens, and significant roads and parks in Santa Ana. The early structure consisted of volunteers and advocates who were passionate and concerned about disadvantaged communities in the Orange County region.

1. Comite Civico del Valle was established in 1987 with a mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities by promoting informed and engaged civic participation. This principle is incorporated into all partnerships, research, and civic engagement undertaken by the organization. Comite Civico has grown over the years to serve a wide range of groups and individuals in California through programs such as Promotoras, Community Outreach Events, Educator Training, Health Education, Environmental Health Research, and the Annual Environmental Health Leadership Summit. The organization collaborates with other established Environmental Justice organizations, researchers, academia, and government agencies to serve various California communities. With over three decades of experience serving the Imperial Valley and beyond, Comite Civico has become a well-respected and influential organization in the field of Environmental Justice.

2. In its early years, CCV relied on grassroots support from local residents, community organizations, and philanthropic foundations to fund its programs and initiatives. The organization was structured as a community-based nonprofit, governed by a board of directors and led by a small staff of dedicated advocates and organizers. One of CCV's earliest and most impactful initiatives was its "Promotores de Salud" program, which trained community members to become health educators and advocates in their own neighborhoods. This program helped to address the severe shortage of healthcare providers in the region and provided much-needed health education and resources to underserved communities.

1. The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) began in 1978 following the struggle for clean air and healthy communities in Jurupa Valley; residents rallied together to shut down the Stringfellow Acid Pit toxic waste site. The organization's founder Penny Newman led community members in a decades-long fight that resulted in the state awarding 114 million dollars in reparations for residents and establishing the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as the Superfund. Following these accomplishments, environmental leaders acknowledged the need to create a community resource that working-class communities of color could turn to in the midst of pollution crises. In 1993, CCAEJ became an official nonprofit organization founded on this principle and the belief that all residents have a right to participate in collective decisions that directly affect them and also be an actor in developing solutions to clean up their environment and health.

2. The early structure of CCAEJ consisted primarily of volunteer-leadership and a small team of part-time staff. Over time this organization grew and secured additional funding. It was able to support the hiring of more staff and expand its programs and services.

The Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) was founded in 1980 and served low-income communities in the San Diego/Tijuana region. Their founding purpose was centralized around all people, and all communities should have the right to live, work and play in a clean and safe environment regardless of their ZIP code. In the early 1980s, their early structure included organizing around cancer and calling to action against San Diego being a toxic waste dump. Early on, their work revolved around community education of critical policy, permits, and other political events around San Diego.

PODER was founded in 1991 in San Francisco’s mission district. It is a grassroots organization that works to create a space where people-powered solutions are instrumental to the profound environmental and economic inequalities facing low-income Latino immigrants and other communities of color in San Francisco. In its early years, PODER relied on organizing and community education as direct actions to achieve its goals. The early structure of this organization consisted primarily of volunteer work with a small core of staff organizers and their support.

1. The APEN was founded in the early 1990s. The website details its history from 1991, when following the attendance of the First National People of Color Environmental Justice Leadership Summit; the APEN sprouted into a full-blown idea. By 1993 the Asian Pacific Environmental Network was officiated as a non-profit organization. Its founding purpose was to address the environmental justice issues faced by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. The early structure of APEN consisted of small groups of organizers who worked to build relationships with AAPI communities in the Bay Area. 

1. Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) is a nonprofit organization founded in the 1970s. In 1978, CBE first established itself in response to the growing environmental activism movement to propel landmark policies such as Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.

2. CBE’s efforts include community organizing, scientific research, and public education. They work to empower communities to advocate for their right to a healthy environment and challenge the unfair distribution of environmental harms that research has shown to impact low-income and communities of color.