Feb 12, 2026 | Dr. Beverly Wright News, Dr. Wright Blog, DSCEJ General News, Press Releases, Take Action Alert, The Latest News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Responds to EPA Repeal of Endangerment Finding
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The EPA’s repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding removes the only federal mechanism requiring regulation of greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act. This decision eliminates legal accountability for emissions that drive climate disasters and worsen air quality in communities already overburdened by industrial pollution.
The repeal will have immediate consequences for Gulf Coast communities. Without federal oversight, facilities will operate without greenhouse gas limits, compounding existing pollution from petrochemical operations concentrated in Black and low-income neighborhoods along the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor.
“This administration has chosen to prioritize industry over evidence and legal precedent,” said Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of DSCEJ. “Our communities understand what this means. More pollution. More extreme weather. More preventable illness. We have resisted environmental racism for decades, and we will continue that fight now.”
DSCEJ joins a host of organizations and members of the scientific community in mobilizing to challenge the repeal and educating communities on the dangers of not restoring this mandate to protect public health.
About DSCEJ
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), founded in 1992, is the nation’s longest-serving environmental justice resource center, committed to advancing the health, safety, and livelihoods of communities impacted by pollution and climate change. Through research, education, and workforce training, DSCEJ collaborates with communities, scientists, and policymakers to address systemic environmental inequities. DSCEJ is dedicated to ensuring every person’s right to live free from environmental harm impacting health, housing, jobs, and overall quality of life.
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Media Contact
DSCEJ Communications
media@dscej.org
Jan 29, 2026 | Community Engagement News, Dr. Beverly Wright News, Dr. Wright Blog, DSCEJ General News, Press Releases, Research and Policy News, Take Action Alert
NEW ORLEANS, LA — The New Orleans City Council’s decision to pass a one-year moratorium on data centers represents a small victory for New Orleans East and residential communities across the city. This action proves that when communities organize and speak truth to power, decision-makers must respond. DSCEJ commends the City Council for listening to residents and recognizing the serious threats data centers pose to community health, energy infrastructure, and environmental stability when sited too close to residential areas. This moratorium creates essential time to assess the full impact these facilities would have on our neighborhoods and establish appropriate nonresidential zoning.
However, a moratorium does not equate to a solution. Over the next year, DSCEJ will work alongside community members and continue to call on local leadership to ensure this temporary protection is solidified into permanent policy. We will monitor any attempts to weaken these protections and hold decision-makers accountable to the health and safety of the people they serve. Data centers consume extraordinary amounts of energy and water while generating heat and noise pollution, posing serious risks when sited near homes where families live, children play, and communities thrive. New Orleans East has long been treated as a sacrifice zone for industrial projects that benefit corporations while burdening Black residents with health risks and environmental harm. That pattern must end.
During this moratorium period, we call on city leadership to:
- Conduct comprehensive environmental and health impact assessments
- Engage in genuine community consultation, centering the voices of those most affected
- Develop zoning policies that prohibit industrial facilities in residential areas
- Prioritize investments that strengthen community infrastructure and economic opportunity without compromising health
“This moment belongs to the residents of New Orleans East who refused to accept yet another threat to their quality of life. And to everyone who spoke out, showed up, and demanded better we say: The work continues. We can’t rest until our communities are treated as precious assets to our city and our neighbors can rest peacefully and breathe easily knowing they are protected from environmental harm.” — Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder & Executive Director
About DSCEJ
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), founded in 1992, is the nation’s longest-serving environmental justice resource center, committed to advancing the health, safety, and livelihoods of communities impacted by pollution and climate change. Through research, education, and workforce training, DSCEJ collaborates with communities, scientists, and policymakers to address systemic environmental inequities. DSCEJ is dedicated to ensuring every person’s right to live free from environmental harm impacting health, housing, jobs, and overall quality of life.
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Media Contact
DSCEJ Communications
media@dscej.org
Jun 20, 2023 | Community Engagement News, Dr. Beverly Wright News, DSCEJ General News, Research and Policy News, Take Action Alert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2023
Dr. Beverly Wright, Environmental Justice Activists, and Community Leaders Will Travel to Baton Rouge to Oppose Approval of Louisiana’s Flawed Application
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On Wednesday, June 21, beginning at 1:00 pm CT, Dr. Beverly Wright of Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) will travel with environmental justice activists and local community leaders to Baton Rouge, where the US EPA will hold the first of a three-day hearing on its draft approval of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ application for authority to permit the underground injection of carbon dioxide waste.
With a record of failure and mismanagement that resulted in destroying the Bayou Corne community, harming children and adults in Grand Bois, and leaving the state littered with leaking oil and gas wells, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) submitted a flawed application for authority to permit an entirely new category of wells for underground disposal of carbon dioxide, a hazardous substance.
The EPA’s public hearing comes at a time when a new wave of gas-burning facilities are being proposed in Louisiana communities where the majority of residents are Black, Indigenous, and poor. Plans for many of these facilities include carbon capture and storage or CCS – a risky process that involves collecting carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams and transporting it via miles of pipeline to areas targeted for injecting the carbon dioxide underground for disposal.
Last week, the Louisiana legislature attempted to tackle problems in state laws governing carbon dioxide waste injection. One of these laws significantly reduced the time of a company’s liability for operating a carbon dioxide injection well from 50 years, which is required by federal regulations, to 10 years. The recent changes to the state laws trigger another review by the EPA with the opportunity for public notice and comment.
WHAT: EPA public hearing on Louisiana’s application for authority to permit the underground injection of carbon dioxide waste
WHO: Dr. Beverly Wright, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, environmental justice activists, and community leaders
WHERE: Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, LaBelle Hearing Room, 1st Floor, LaSalle Building, 617 North 3rd Street in Baton Rouge, LA
The event will also be live-streamed HERE.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 21, from 1 pm – 5 pm and 6 pm – 8 pm
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About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from deadly air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to put environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader, and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ uses research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice.
Sep 28, 2022 | Take Action Alert, The Latest News
DSCEJ is proud member of the Healthy Homes Coalition in New Orleans, which believes that everyone deserves a home free of leaks, mold, and other major health and safety hazards.
TOMORROW (Thursday, September 29), the New Orleans City Council will introduce the Healthy Homes Ordinance (Ord. Cal. No. 33,898). We invite NOLA citizens to take action for healthy homes for all.
1. ATTEND the Healthy Homes Council Hearing and make a comment in support of the proposed Healthy Homes ordinance.
WHEN: Thursday Sep 29, 2022 ⋅ 1pm – 5pm (Central Time – Chicago)
WHERE: New Orleans City Council Chambers,
1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
This hearing will be in the City Council Government Affairs Committee.
- The front desk staff will guide people to council chambers.
- Once inside, you may fill out a yellow speaker card, located on a table at the far right side of the chamber.
- Submit your card and wait to be called up to the mic to speak.
2. SUBMIT A COMMENT on the Council website.
To submit your comment to the Governmental Affairs Committee, click here.
Be sure to click agenda item “1. Healthy Homes Ordinance (Ord. Cal. No. 33,898).”
3. CALL your Councilmember.
Call your Councilmember to tell them you support Healthy Homes!
VISIT THIS LINK FOR MORE DETAILS
Apr 6, 2022 | DSCEJ General News, Research and Policy News, Take Action Alert, The Latest News
City Council to Vote on Ethics Ban on Campaign Contributions
On THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022, join us at City Hall or online to support an ethics ban on campaign contributions from companies regulated or contracted by the City Council. Last week, the Council Utility Committee voted in favor of this ban after hearing from people across the city. Don’t miss your opportunity to be heard on this important issue.
Make your voice heard. Attend the meeting. Call, email or tweet your Councilmembers. Ask everyone you know in New Orleans to do the same.
WHAT DOES THE PROPOSED ETHICS LAW PROHIBIT?
“No Councilmember or candidate seeking the office of Councilmember shall accept or otherwise receive a campaign contribution or any other financial benefit of any value from:
Any entity that provides an electric or gas utility, cable, telecommunications or technology service regulated by the City Council;
Any political action committee, director or executive staff person of a corporation or entity regulated by the City Council;
Any person, firm or entity with a professional service contract awarded by the City Council; or
Any person, firm or entity with a professional service contract awarded by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.”
Click HERE to view the full text.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
Attend the City Council meeting and make a comment in support of the proposed ethics law. The meeting starts at 10:00 am on Thursday, April 7, 2022 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street.
Submit a comment on the Council website. Be sure to send your comment no later than 8:00AM, Thursday, April 7 so that it can be read at the meeting. Select agenda item “Regular 10. Cal. No. 33,367 – By: Councilmember Moreno.” To submit your comment to the Council Utility Committee, click here.
BACKGROUND:
The Greater New Orleans Interfaith Climate Coalition and its partner organizations proposed an ordinance, a local law, to strengthen the City of New Orleans Code of Ethics to prohibit a campaign contribution or other financial benefit from a utility provider or other entity that is regulated or contracted by the New Orleans City Council.
The passage of this ordinance is a necessary safeguard against the potential for undue influence on energy costs, climate policies, and other important issues handled by the Council that impact the daily lives of all New Orleanians.
The Ethics Review Board unanimously voted in favor of the proposed ethics law. The Council Utility Committee also voted in favor after hearing from people across this city who support this law. Councilmember Helena Moreno is sponsoring it, and was recently joined by Councilmembers J.P. Morrell (At-Large), Joe Giarrusso (District A), and Freddie King (District C), as co-sponsors.
GNOICC proposed the ban on campaign contributions from companies regulated or contracted by the City Council, which was approved by the Ethics Review Board in August 2021. Councilmember Helena Moreno introduced the legislation in February that was voted on today by the Utility, Cable, Telecommunications, and Technology Committee of the City Council.
Mar 26, 2018 | DSCEJ General News, Research and Policy News, Take Action Alert, The Latest News
While the vote is out of Nguyen’s hands, she says it’s not too late to take concerns to the president of Entergy in New Orleans.
Allowing Entergy to rebuild a plant in a place without doing health disparity studies or anything, just because it was there before makes absolutely no sense,” Beverly Wright said.
The debate over allowing Entergy to build a new gas fire power plant in New Orleans East is not over for some like Wright. As a resident in the East and director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, she questions why the vote for a new plant was not delayed until new incoming City Council members were sworn in.
Click here for more information.
