St. Tammany Hydraulic Fracturing Opposition Proposal Shannon Vitrano, Adam Kalina, Max Potter, Brooke Warner, Helen Davidoski, Emily Nichols 5/12/2015

Environmental Description

History of Pollution in St. Tammany Parish

St. Tammany Parish has historically been referred to as the Ozone Belt due to the false belief that numerous pine trees in the area were emitting Ozone, making Mandeville a “health resort”. Therefore, wealthy New Orleanians flocked to the area, and also took advantage of Abita Springs, where they would take “healthy baths”.1 St. Tammany Parish is located in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and is part of the Liberty Bayou- Tchefuncta River Watershed. Due to this, the area suffers from water pollution from urban stormwater runoff. The runoff causes elevated levels of heavy metals and soil-derived suspended sediments. In 1989, hundred of communities were discharging treated sewage into the Lake Pontchartrain Basin every day. The waste from these communities included suspended solids, biochemical oxygen-demanding materials, nutrients, and pathogens. Agricultural runoff from animal operations, agrochemical applications and land-clearing activities also contributes to the water pollution in the area. This runoff contains pathogens, nutrients, toxic chemicals and sediments. Oil and gas wells pollute the lake with formation brine, a by-product of the operations. The by-product contains radioactive and heavy metal contaminants. According to the U.S Geological Survey, “The impact on water quality in a shallow confined lake, such as Lake Pontchartrain, would be far greater than on deep flowing seawater such as the Gulf of Mexico.” There are two National Priority List (Superfund) sites in St. Tammany Parish. One is Madisonville Creosote Works, which contains a wetland that is contaminated from drainage of creosote. The other is Bayou Bonfouca, which was subject to toxic spills and explosions from a creosote plant. As of 1999, St. Tammany Parish was ranked in the 90th percentile for carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide and dioxide, PM-2.5, and VOC emissions.2“The lifetime diesel soot cancer risk for a resident of St. Tammany Parish is 1 in 28,878, which is 35 times greater than the EPA’s acceptable cancer level of 1 in a million”.3 This ranks in the 72nd percentile of all counties in the United States. Compared to the other inhaled toxins previously mentioned, diesel soot accounts for almost half of pollutants related to cancer. Compared to the state of Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish has 120:220 added cancer

1 "St. Tammany Parish Laghn." St. Tammany Parish Louisiana Genealogy & History Network. USGHN Executive Council, 2013. Web. 19 June 2015. 2 "Environmental Releases for ST. TAMMANY Parish." Environmental Releases for ST. TAMMANY Parish. N.p., 2011. Web. 19 June 2015. 3 "Diesel Soot Health Impacts - Clean Air Task Force (CATF)." Diesel Soot Health Impacts - Clean Air Task Force (CATF). N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.

risk from hazardous air pollutants, .0023:.0035 Superfund sites per square mile, and .0035:.0067 toxics release inventory facilities pers square mile.

Oil and Gas in St. Tammany Parish In the 1940’s major oil and gas exploration took place across the parish as hundreds of exploratory wells were drilled. While the majority of these projects found only dry holes, a handful of productive wells operated in eastern Lake Pontchartrain off of Big Point, Louisiana in south eastern St Tammany parish from the 1950s through the early 2000s.4 While the majority of these drill sites have since been plugged and abandoned, a number of them sit inactive but unplugged. A number of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines intersect the parish. (Appendix C) One of these pipelines, operated Collins Pipeline Company and Exxon Mobile is due for a 26.2 acre renovation near the community of Lacombe.5 This repair is the only other Oil and Gas related project located in St. Tammany Parish that is currently in the permitting process with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Due to the low percentage of productive wells, traditional drilling practices have proven to not be economically viable in St. Tammany Parish. As horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology develop, new opportunities for extracting oil and gas in the area will present themselves. While most land around Lake Pontchartrain has been used up by traditional oil & gas extraction, inland St Tammany Parish provide the Helis Group opportunities and land area for their plans.

Helis Corporation Proposes Hydraulic Fracturing in St. Tammany Parish Helis Oil and Gas, a Louisiana based energy company specializing in hydraulic fracturing means of extraction, has proposed a new project in St. Tammany Parish. The first of 16 such projects in the area, the company submitted a proposal for construction of an exploratory well north of interstate 12, one mile east of state highway 1088 and abutting Log Cabin Road to the west. The site lies 2.4 miles from the nearest commercial and residential areas near Mandeville and only 1.5 miles from the local Lakeshore High school on state highway 1088. The proposed exploratory area is centrally located within population centers in St. Tammany parish. Abita Springs, Covington, Mandeville to the west, LaCombe to the south and Slidell to the east, are all adjacent to this tract. (Appendix A) A vertical exploratory well has been permitted by Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.6 This permit does not allow for installation of production rigs but concerned residents believe that 4 Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Management 5 Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Management 6 Rhoden, Robert. "Wetlands Permit Approved for Fracking Project in St. Tammany." NOLA.com. Times-Picayune, 8 June 2015. Web. 19 June 2015.

once Helis finds natural gas in St. Tammany Parish, more firms will follow. This decision is in the process of being appealed by St. Tammany Parish council, including Richard Tanner, Jacob Groby, and Reid Falconer, and supported by local groups such as Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany and Citizens for a Frack-Free St. Tammany. Despite this overwhelming opposition by the citizens and council members, they continue to make steps towards beginning to drill. 800,000 gallons of fresh water are to be used for the exploratory well from private ponds surrounding the area. A 2.5-foot-tall levee is to be built around the entire drill site in case of flooding. Though the company claims to have completed hundreds of projects such as these without pollution within a 15 mile radius of this proposed site according to an EPA report Helis Oil and Gas has claimed 103 incidents nationwide between 2003 and 2010. If the exploratory well proves to be successful, Helis would need federal and state approval to being horizontal fracturing and extraction.

The Helis project passed a major regulation in April when Judge William Morvant of the 19th Judicial Circuit ruled that St. Tammany Parish could not block the project based on local zoning ordinances. The St. Tammany Parish Council voted unanimously to appeal the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Baton Rouge. Blue Williams Law Group and Attorney Neil Hall represent the parish in these legal proceedings. While this gives legal authority to Helis for the implementation of a 13,374 foot exploratory rig and the company says that they will began drilling in the next 30 to 45 days, the parish and local citizens groups plan to seek a restraining order while the the appeal is in process. Future Effects in the Parish With the Helis Oil and Gas Corporation’s permit approved to begin construction of an exploration well in St. Tammany parish, they could potentially begin construction of a natural gas drilling operation within the next few years. While this is all speculative for now, the saying, “if you build it, they will come”, applies to this situation. If Helis finds a big deposit of natural gas in the Southern Hills Aquifer and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (see appendix B), many other companies could find it valuable and also begin extraction in St. Tammany. They would then proceed to buy up huge areas of the parish for access to the aquifer for fracking uses. The Southern Hills Aquifer, would be shared between residents, who use it for 90% of their water usage, and the natural gas corporations, which need large amounts of water for their fracking. This competition of fresh water could pose as a health and economic hazard for the citizens. Additionally with other companies moving to the area, so follows all the hazardous acts that are associated with hydro-fracking. There are many hazards with fracking, poisonous leakage of natural gas into private owned properties7, chemical spills and leakage associated with production and construction, and recently there has been discoveries that extraction can cause

7 http://www.dangersoffracking.com/

a shifting of land contributing to earthquakes such as those that devastated Texas recently8. Along with all the dangers that are associated with hydro-fracking there is simply a danger from over-extraction from the land. Once the influx of companies depletes all the natural resources they will plug and abandon the well, leaving unmonitored industrial scars throughout the community. This is only speculation as hydro-fracking in St. Tammany is a new process and there is very little research on the technology. Only time will tell what is to become of St. Tammany and their future. Appendices Appendix A: St. Tammany Population Centers

http://www.socialexplorer.com/6f4cdab7a0/explore

8http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/fast-track-fracking-study-says-bigger-injections-trigger-more-quakes-n378116

Appendix B: Louisiana Oil Plays

http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ Appendix C: St. Tammany Pipelines

__ Gas Pipeline __ Hazardous Liquid Pipeline https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/PublicViewer/composite.js

Appendix D: Location of Helis Site in St. Tammany Parish

Latitude: 30.38806 Longitude: -89.97917 Appendix E: Bayou Liberty-Tchefuncta River Watershed

http://watersgeo.epa.gov/mwm/?layer=LEGACY_WBD&feature=08090201&extraLayers=null?layer=LEGACY_WBD&feature=08090201&extraLayers=null

Appendix F: Southern Hills Aquifer

http://www.epa.gov/region6/water/swp/ssa/maps/ssa_shills.pdf Appendix G: SONRIS Map of St. Tammany

http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/gis/agsweb/IE/JSViewer/index.html?TemplateID=181

Socioeconomic Description Demographics of St. Tammany For the entire region of St. Tammany, the average household income is $65,429. However, the median household income in each tract greatly differs. In tract 412.08, the median household income $138,933. That area is 95.9% white, 3.4% Asian, and 0% African American. On the other end of the spectrum, the tract 411.03 has a median household income of $34,297. That area is only 66% white and 27% African American. About 30% of this tract also lives in poverty and 42% of the population is “doing ok”. Tract 412.08 has less than 2% of the population living in poverty, with over 95% of the population doing ok. These two regions are only about 12 miles away from each other, yet the residents have drastically different lifestyles (Appendix A). St. Tammany parish is predominantly white, with 84% of the population being white alone. The entire state of Louisiana is only about 66% white alone. Only about 10% of the population in St. Tammany is African American, whereas 31% of Louisiana is Black (Appendix B, C). About 26.3% of the population is over the age of 55 years. 47.8% is between 18 and 54. 25.9% of St. Tammany is under 18 years of age (Appendix D). Approximately 24.1% of St. Tammany residents are high school graduates. 10.6% of residents have not attained a high school diploma 30.2% have attended some college, and 23.2% of the population has attained a bachelor’s degree (Appendix E).The unemployment rate in St. Tammany Parish is merely 7.6%. The main employer in the parish is retail trade. 27.4% of residents work in the retail trade industry (Appendix F). While retail is the largest employer for the parish as a whole, this differs between census tracts. In tract 411.03, 24% of the population is employed by retail. However, in tract 412.08, largest sector is education, healthcare, and social assistance, employing 31% of the population. 28.3% of the population has a social security income. The poverty level in St. Tammany Parish is very low. 93.7% of the population has an income above the poverty line. 6.9% of the white population is below the poverty level, while 21.3% of the African American population in the parish is below the poverty line (Appendix G). Only .7% percent of the population relies on public assistance. 17.3% has a retirement income. 57.5% of white St. Tammany residents over the age of 15 are married. 32.7% of African American residents over the age of 15 are married (Appendix H). Elected Officials of St. Tammany The government of St. Tammany Parish consists of a 14 seat parish council, elected from geographical districts and a parish president. The parish president is Pat Brister. Two council members have been especially vocal in their opposition to the Helis project. Council Chairman

Richard Tanner has actively opposed the project and has been outspoken at public hearings on the issue. Jacob Groby, councilman for the 7th district of St. Tammany, represents the community of Lacombe and area west to the city of Mandeville and north to the town of Abita Springs. This is the area that Helis plans to expand drilling in. Groby has served as a public official in water quality for thirty years and is currently the Superintendent of Water Quality Control in St. Bernard parish. Mr. Groby began his career in politics as a community activist organizing opposition to a proposed waste transfer facility in Lacombe. Mr. Groby is a highly valuable community asset for CGCC. Important Associations in St. Tammany Many citizens in St. Tammany are interested in preserving the environment around them, and they have been working tirelessly to end the fracking in St. Tammany. The Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany was established to fight a variety of issues in the parish. Some of the Concerned Citizen’s past projects include protecting the environment and ensuring the safety and health of the residents of St. Tammany. One of the most notable successes for the Concerned Citizens was the fight against a new waste transfer station.9 The facility was originally intended to be placed at the intersection of I-12 and Louisiana 434 in Lacombe. The Concerned Citizens argued that the zoning for that region was not appropriate for a waste facility. After a year and a half long litigation process and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Concerned Citizens prevailed and the LA Supreme Court ruled that the I-2 zoning was unconstitutional. The Concerned Citizens have also attempted to end the proposed fracking in St. Tammany. The group managed to bring 2 temporary restraining orders against the Army Corp. Of Engineers & LDEQ, in the Fracking litigation. On the Concerned Citizens webpage, their “Get Involved” page has a “Help Us Fight Fracking!” link for citizens to donate money for the cause. In addition, the Concerned Citizens’ website highlights recent news about fracking and lists community events against fracking, such as a recent community meeting to educate the public about the dangers of hydraulic fracturing. Another important group in the area is the Citizens for a Frack-Free St. Tammany. This group identifies as a Grassroots organization dedicated to fight for a healthy and safe environment for the parish. As the name suggests, the Citizens for a Frack-Free St. Tammany is specifically targeting fracking in the area. The website includes information on fracking to educate the people of St. Tammany about the health and environmental threats that come from it.10 In addition, the website includes six different petitions to halt fracking in St. Tammany. Similar to

9 "Past Projects." Concerned Citizens of St Tammany. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2015. 10 "Fracking Information." Citizens for a Frack Free St Tammany. N.p., 6 June 2015. Web. 18 June 2015.

the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany, Citizens for a Frack-Free St. Tammany has been successful in collecting donations and gathering support. Tammy Together, another important group in the parish, attempts to identify important issues to members of the community and further educate citizens about these important issues. Tammy Together has recently been focusing on the fracking situation in the parish. Their homepage features a youtube video called “The Great St. Tammany Fracking Rebellion.” The video explains many aspects of the fracking controversy in the parish, and highlights the important participation from St. Tammany residents. On May 1, 2014, over 600 citizens of St. Tammany attended a Fracking Informational Meeting held in the Abita Springs Town Hall.11 Later that evening, 300 residents attended the St. Tammany Parish council meeting to discuss hiring attorneys to challenge the proposed drilling. On June 17th, about 30 citizens of St. Tammany traveled to Baton Rouge to a joint hearing between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. The hearing was about the permit that Helis was required to have for drilling in the wetlands. Patrick Courreges, the Department of Natural Resources spokesperson, stated that the attendance of several dozen citizens that were not land-owners was “very unusual” for a hearing. The St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce represents the economical interests in St. Tammany. The Chamber of Commerce is comprised of over 1,100 business in the region, representing a wide variety of companies including multinational corporations and local shops.12 The organization aims to provide support for these businesses, foster partnerships, and build coalitions. The Chamber of Commerce has successfully completed many goals, including tax equalization for Louisiana businesses and working with the U.S. Chamber Federation Partnership to gain more benefits for its members. While the Chamber hasn’t taken a particular stance in fracking, the organization urged citizens of St. Tammany to educate themselves before supporting or opposing fracking. The Chamber of Commerce also highlighted that over 50 companies in St. Tammany are directly involved in the oil and gas industry, and 4,000 residents of St. Tammany work in those facilities. However, the total population of St. Tammany is well over 242,000; this means that only about 1.5% of St. Tammany residents are involved in the oil and gas industry.

11 "The Great St. Tammany Fracking Rebellion." Tammany Together. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2015. 12 "About Us." St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2015.

Appendices Appendix A: Location of Well

Appendix B: St. Tammany Population by Race

Appendix C: Demographic Profile of St. Tammany

Appendix D: St. Tammany Population by Age

Appendix E: St. Tammany Educational Attainment for the Population 25+

Appendix F: St. Tammany Employment

Appendix G: St. Tammany Family Households Below Poverty

Appendix H: St. Tammany Marital Status 13

13 "Parish Profile." STEDF: St. Tammany Parish Louisiana. St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation, n.d. Web. June 2015. "The Socio-Economic Study: St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana." The American Journal of Nursing 46.12 (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

St. Tammany Campaign Proposal A campaign framework involves two competing agendas. Often it is the agenda of those negatively impacted and those with something to gain. Research for this proposal was limited to online database research, including state and federal databases (see reference list). Therefore, without local input, we do not purport to know the agenda of those that are negatively impacted. We do, however, propose the following agenda for the competing interest. The interest of the oil and gas industry in the case of Helis Energy in St. Tammany Parish is to utilize horizontal drilling technology to expand their rapacious extraction practices to the backyard of middle America regardless of unknown consequences on human or ecological health. The following report describes the elements of a campaign that assumes this framework. This report proposes tactics for the four elements of a campaign based on the framework mentioned above. After a discussion of each element, there is a list of issues and opportunities that the Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition may want to consider as it continues to develop the campaign. The four elements are 1) Community Organizing, 2) Public Relations, 3) Policy, and 4) Legal. Please note this campaign proposal does not consider organizational capacity or resource constraints. The St. Tammany Parish council is the chosen target for this campaign because they have the final say as to whether or not to allow the building of the well or St. Tammany to be zoned for future hydraulic fracturing wells. In St. Tammany Parish, there is a large probability of natural gas producing shale in the earth. However, there is outcry among citizens to block oil and gas companies from using their precious land to mine natural gas. The St. Tammany Parish council has the power to block fracking in the parish. They not only have the insight onto what goes on in the entire Parish, they also have the ability to protect their Parish from any harm that may come to it. Helis Oil and Gas corporation stands as a major threat to not only the health of the residents, but also the land. The Parish council is left with the decision on whether to allow Helis to continue with their plan or to block them and future companies from entering the Parish and putting it in any harm. However, the St. Tammany Parish council has a number of influences on either side of the spectrum, trying to convince them to vote for their side. For our list of influencers, please refer to Appendix A. Within the list you will notice many respectable members and organizations within St. Tammany and surrounding areas. For our power map, please refer to Appendix B. On this power map you can notice all the influencers and how they negatively or positively affect the decision makers. Community Organizing Tactic We have chosen three main influencers to target for organization: Abita Brewing Company, Jacob Groby, and the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce. All three have medium to

high levels of influence over the council and different motives behind the decision. Abita Brewing Company is a major distributor of the local favorite beer of the same name, Abita. Many people enjoy their beverage and most living in the Southeastern United States know about the brewing company. Abita is a major advocate against fracking in St. Tammany. The proposed Helis well is located eerily close to the same springs that Abita uses for their brewing processes. They are worried that Helis may distort the amount of water Abita is able to use or, even worse, pollute the springs and poison the water Abita relies upon. They have become a major force in the attempt to block the construction of the well and are able to project their campaign onto others not just in St. Tammany but around Louisiana. Jacob Groby is another influencer that is opposed to the construction of the well. Unlike Abita, he is actually on the Parish Council. Not only is he a part of the decision making, he is the superintendent of water control in St. Bernard Parish. Jacob Groby is the representative of the area in which Helis plans to build the well. He is one of the influencers on the power map that has a major history within activism for areas in St. Bernard and St. Tammany, such as Lacombe and Abita Springs. He has already been a major key in the movement to block Helis and will continue his efforts. Finally, a group on the other side of the decision, St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce, is more concerned with receiving the revenue from the drilling rather than what the production may do to the land. However, we believe that we may have a chance to sway that belief of money over quality of life. It is important to present the actual revenue facts of the operation and communicate with Chamber of Commerce that they will not be receiving as much money as they believe. These three are the targets of our campaign for St. Tammany. We believe that these three will be the major components of the campaign to keep fracking out of St. Tammany Parish. Media and Public Relations Tactic Two of the three targets are already on the side against Helis and have used their resources to spread the message out into the public. However, the Chamber of Commerce will need to be convinced to flip their views and come on the side to block Helis. There are some other issues the coalition will be confronted with. Many of the opponents to the anti-fracking movement in St. Tammany are governmental positions. Bobby Jindal, the EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers all have a large amount of political sway within Louisiana and are all for the construction of the fracking well. Although there are already numerous organizations within St. Tammany that are banding together to prevent the well, a major influencer could unite them against fracking. With the population being mostly caucasian most groups are formed with no attention paid to race or economic status, and most groups main goal is only to prevent the destruction of St. Tammany and their quaint way of life. Merely 1.5% of the St. Tammany population is employed by oil and gas. The people of St. Tammany therefore have no loyalty to these big gas and oil companies and are against those companies from entering their area and destroying their land. St. Tammany residents are a proud people, they know when they are about to be treated unfairly, they know when they need to act, and are happy to prevent their way of life from being disturbed or destroyed.

This campaign is about the competing agenda of Helis Oil and Gas to extract every drop of oil regardless of the cost, and of St. Tammany residents to preserve their community, Louisiana, and middle America. Our decision maker target is the St. Tammany Parish Council. The best way to gain the attention of these council members is to attend meetings and public hearings discussing the fracking proposal and have a large group voicing their opposition. To spread the word about the meetings, the campaign should utilize the existing organizations that have already taken a stance on the issue. The Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany, Citizens For a Frack-Free St. Tammany, and Tammany Together have all taken a stance and mobilized against Helis Oil and Gas. Utilizing these organizations and their power to communicate with St. Tammany residents is important. We propose using local news outlets such as the New Orleans Advocate and the Tammany West to spread the word about the campaign and to gain followers. Ian Somerhalder, a TV actor from St. Tammany Parish, attended a hearing on the proposed fracking in November. Mobilizing his fans could bring more attention to the campaign. Lastly, Abita Brewing Company will be affected if Helis proceeds with hydraulic fracturing due to the water use involved. Using Abita could bring even more attention to the issue. There is a lot of potential backlash to the campaign. According to Helis, they want to protect national security by making the United States oil independent. Helis will likely say that the St. Tammany residents are being selfish by wanting to protect their community at the expense of national security. However, the potential fracking does not affect only St. Tammany Parish. Once the oil is extracted, it will be transported through many communities in Louisiana. Every community along the rail system will be affected. Getting these communities involved in the campaign will help to frame it as less of a “Not In My Backyard” issue, and more as an issue that affects many communities across the entire state of Louisiana. Legislative and Policy Tactic Currently, the battle over fracking in the parish rests upon debate over the preemption of state authority over local zoning ordinances. On April 20th, state Judge William Morvant ruled on an injunction filed by the St. Tammany Parish Government and found that the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is the sole regulator of oil and gas development in the state and that state agencies must consider parish zoning regulations but need not adhere to them. This ruling was a bitter loss for the parish and local activist groups as it allows Helis to drill their exploratory well as early as this summer. There is, however, still room for action on the part of the parish as more strongly worded legislation such as a total ban on fracking would carry more weight than zoning plans in a court of law. Aside from a St.Tammany fracking ban, there are other legislative opportunities to limit expansion of the oil and gas industry. Blocking the NOLA Oil Terminal in Placquemines Parish,

for example, is an end-of-pipe legislative tactic to limit regional export opportunities and limit the economic viability of local mineral production. Alternatively, legislation could be introduced at the state level to protect ecological value and limit the industrialization of the Florida parishes. Both of these tacts are rife with pitfalls and opposition and due to the influence of the oil and gas industry in the state, seem unlikely to succeed. The St. Tammany parish council voted unanimously to contest Helis’ exploratory well permit and since only 1.5 percent of the parish is employed by the oil and gas sector, there is widespread support for the oppositional cause. Grassroots campaigns such as Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany and Citizens for a Frack Free St. Tammany have generated local support for the issue. Utilizing their momentum will allow for maximum impact for CGCC. Legal Tactic St. Tammany has thus far been almost completely united in the rejection of Hydraulic Fracturing extraction of oil and gas in their community and have been very active in town and public hearings. Public commenting opportunities, such as The Preserve St. Tammany Initiative Town Hall Meeting, June 22 2015, are abundant and well attended by citizens and groups including Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany, Citizens for a Frack-Free St. Tammany, and supporting parish councilman Jacob Groby. The most recent town meeting is aiming to “discuss, develop and put into action educational and advocacy campaigns” against industrial oil and gas developments. These groups of concerned citizens are educated, aware, and active in current events of fracking nationwide, which poses potential for nationwide collaboration and unifying studies, action, and change. Recently CHEM trust, a British charity organization specializing in research on chemical impact on human and wildlife, came out with a study labeling detrimental impacts of fracking as “significant” to human and ecological health. 14 Studies like this and evidence of subsidence, water pollution, and ecological destruction from other communities can be used as support for this case. Small voices can make a big impact when pooled together and this could be a great tactic for this campaign. Tulane Law Clinic has been active in this issue and represented the town in the lawsuit against Helis this year. This seems to be the most powerful and engaged legal force for St. Tammany to continue using in their fight for preservation of health and environment. This operation will also affect surrounding areas such as Plaquemines parish and Mossville via transportation of materials making the area of impact even bigger than the 10 acre platform and nearby material extraction. The extraction site also lays 9000 ft below the aquifer and runs directly through it posing a potential threat to water quality and security of the surrounding communities that rely on this for all of their water needs. The state versus local law is posing the

14 http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/chemtrust-chemical-pollution-from-fracking-june2015.pdf

main threat in this lawsuit and must be addressed. So far, the Helis project passed a major regulatory hurdle in April when Judge William Morvant of the 19th Judicial Circuit ruled in favor of the State’s authority to allow drilling despite Parish zoning laws. Again the St. Tammany Parish Council voted unanimously to appeal the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Baton Rouge. Blue Williams Law Group and Attorney Neil Hall are currently representing the parish in these appeals. Legal action going forward should take into consideration the power of local communities. Since the first and only public hearing, Helis added 500 pages to their proposal and have not held another hearing to testify against it. Opening another hearing and overwhelming the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources with concern against fracking and support for preservation may be a powerful tactic. Using the frequent town hall meetings as educational and organizational platforms could be useful. Creating concrete collaboration between other communities as a platform for overarching federal change is not viable as of yet but using it as support for local regulation change may be effective. Appendices Appendix A: List of Influences Public Influences

● Saint Tammany citizens ● Citizens for a frack-free St. Tammany (CFFST) ● Tulane Campaign ● Concerned Citizens for Saint Tammany (CCST) ● Media ● Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition (CGCC) ● Lake Pontchartrain Basin ● Big Branch and Bogue Chitto National Parks ● Health Professionals ● Workers for Helis

VIP Influences

● Parish President ● Bobby Jindal ● Jacob Groby ● Louisiana State Government ● Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) ● Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ● Abita Brewing Company ● Covington Brewery ● Wilma Subra ● Richard Tanner

● Wildlife & Fisheries ● Army Corp of Engineers ● Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

Financial Influences

● Investors ● Saint Tammany Chamber of Commerce

Appendix B: St. Tammany Power Map