Refined Community Empowerment, Inc.

Our mission is to educate, uplift, and empower individuals through programs and resources that promote personal growth, collective engagement, and positive change in underserved and disadvantaged communities for a more equitable world.

We are helping to protect the people suffering from the disproportionate impacts of legacy pollution and chemicals in St. Rose, Louisiana, a part of "Cancer Alley."

The overburdened environmental justice communities in St. Rose, still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida (August 2021), now face a new threat from the St. Charles Clean Fuels "Blue" Ammonia plant seeking permits to operate on the fence line of the vulnerable communities. No community air monitoring is in place.

RCE has consulted scientists for monitoring the air. My team and I canvassed multiple times, hosted several meetings and a health fair, and through Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, submitted comments and was granted a public hearing with the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources on the Coastal Use permit. We were also granted a public hearing with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality on the air permit. Due to high interest in the permitting of the SCCF application to operate adjacent to IMTT, the hearing venue was overcrowded and the St. Rose Fire Department had to shut the hearing down. Our rescheduled was a success. We're still hosting community meetings.

Testimonials

"If it were not for Kimbrelle and Refined Community Empowerment, we wouldn't know anything about the proposed ammonia plant." ~ Reverend Art Blue