We wanted to make sure that everyone saw that our Executive Director, Marylee Orr, was the very first person to be featured in The Advocate newspaper's new interview coloumn, "A Few Minutes With...". We are very proud!
A FEW MINUTES WITH... Marylee Orr
AGE: "Timeless."
POSITION: Executive director of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network.
Orr got started with environmental work, initially with Mothers Against Air Pollution, because her son was born with a lung disease. Through that organization, she participated in 1986 in a two-and-a-half-day meeting at LSU that spawned the creation of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network. After the first LEAN director quit, Orr agreed to take over for six months. Twenty-five years later, LEAN is still one of the main environmental groups based in and focused on Louisiana environmental concerns.
How have you seen environmental action and awareness change over the past 25 years?
When we started 25 years ago, it was really industry and government talking to each other and there was no avenue for public involvement. They really couldn't find with the accuracy of what we were saying, so they tried to kill the messenger. I am happy to say that gradually changed, and now government and industry are much more willing to talk about concerns.
What is one of the biggest challenges facing the Louisiana environment?
The biggest challenge - the enforcement issue - just came out (in a Dec. 12 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that criticized Louisiana's enforcement of federal environmental laws). You can organize. You can get information. You can go to the agencies and even litigation, but if there's no enforcement, nothing changes.
What was one of the biggest environmental struggles you've been involved in?
Ozone. We've been working on it for 15 years. That's been a long time hanging in there and going through phases where industry said everything from trees to swamp gas was causing the ozone problem before changes were made.
What are some of the biggest victories you've had?
-Ozone. I was thrilled when an EPA official called and said without LEAN's involvement we wouldn't have gotten to where we are with ozone compliance.
-Produced waters victory. (In June, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal found that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality "abused its discretion" when it issued a permit allowing material associated with oil-and-gas production to be discharged into the state's territorial seas.)
-Our direct relief work during Hurricane Katrina. We did $800,000 in direct aid to people in 10 parishes, including providing 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of food per day, seven days a week for months.
-Our work on the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, where our years of experience came into play. That's still ongoing work that we are doing.
What was one of the biggest losses you've faced?
The industrial pipe construction-and-demolition debris landfill has been a burden on the historic African-American community of Oakville in Plaquemines Parish for more than 19 years. We had a recent court victory relating to the landfill, but nothing has changed yet in regards to the impacts the community is already dealing with. We try to make sure permits are focused on protecting the people of Louisiana and our unique environment. We just want to make sure everyone is being a good neighbor. We work to protect public health and preserve our natural resources. It is as simple as that.
Advocate staff writer Amy Wold
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA, January 3, 2012, Section B, Page 1
