06/18/2026
NOLA Day 3: We had an opportunity to join the Louisiana Bucket Brigade on a bike tour of Norco, a fenceline community in a part of the state known as Cancer Alley. We learned about this community’s fight for justice for the environmental exposure they face from petrochemical facilities that pollute surrounding areas. While there has been some success relocating, there are proposals for more and more facilities to be built in vulnerable communities in Louisiana.
We also visited the Bonnet Carrie Spillway, a piece of flood control infrastructure meant to divert water from the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain when water levels get too high. Historically, this spillway was opened very rarely, but it has continued to be opened more and more frequently in recent years.
Later in the afternoon, we met with Charles, a local therapist. We discussed the realities of working in a field like emergency management, with an increased level of stress, trauma, and burnout from responding to disasters. We learned some ways to recognize symptoms in ourselves and others, respond to them effectively, and support overall mental health.
