Researchers at the NIEHS-funded Louisiana State University (LSU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center recently used community interview data to reveal the historical impacts of thermal waste facilities on residents of Colfax, Louisiana.
In their recent study, the researchers analyzed oral histories obtained through interviews with community members who were concerned about contamination from open burning and detonating munitions and explosives at the facility. Researchers found that social and environmental inequalities affect members of predominantly low-income, majority-Black communities.
Matilda Odera, a former LSU SRP Center intern who was a master’s student at NC State at the time, led the research. Her advisor and co-author of the study, Dr. Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, is a researcher at the Louisiana State University SRP Center.
“Colfax residents want our help documenting the impact the heat treatment facility is having on them and the town,” Richmond-Bryant said. “We saw an opportunity to work with communities to report on the impact of heat treatment facilities on community health, identity and social life.”
Using history to inform science
To collect data, Richmond-Bryant and Audra used oral history, a research technique that gathers information by interviewing people who lived through historical events. The research team called Colfax residents to conduct telephone interviews, asking them about the history of their community and the social and health changes they experienced after the heat treatment plant was established.
In these interviews, community members provided details about declining air and water quality, declining wildlife populations, and illness among friends and family. According to the LSU team, these oral histories are a useful tool in understanding community perceptions of the heat treatment plant. They also help researchers know which types of contaminants to analyze and where to place sampling devices.
Using public records from the thermal treatment plant, scientists mapped the movement of air pollution at the facility. Eventually, the team was able to connect the spread of contaminants to the narratives of residents in these areas.
“It really validates all of their experiences,” Audra said. “Narratives from community members along with several different types of air pollution measurements tell a more comprehensive story. It humanizes and contextualizes the data.”
Experiences of Environmental Injustice
The oral history also highlights environmental justice issues within Colfax. Audra analyzes narratives on various aspects of environmental justice, such as acknowledging a community’s cultural values, equitably minimizing environmental health risks, and participating in decision-making processes.
In interviews, community members detailed the frequent explosions coming from the facility and the thick black smoke that filled the air. Some recounted the gradual decline in flora and fauna they observed in the area, the depopulation of Colfax as people moved away, and the subsequent loss of public activities. Additionally, residents noted limited or unreliable communication from local authorities about the facility and that they often learned about the facility’s operations from their neighbors.
“These narratives illustrate several dimensions of injustice experienced by local residents,” Audra said. “The impact on residents’ health comes with the loss of local culture and exclusion from decisions about facilities. The oral history is A way to return the power to own research to residents, with their voices ever present in the data.”
Informing health protection decisions
Thanks in part to Richmond-Bryant and Audra’s research and outreach efforts by Colfax residents, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality recently banned open burning at thermal treatment plants. The decision is currently under review in federal court. In the meantime, community members are asking Richmond-Bryant and her team to continue monitoring Colfax’s air quality.
“Ultimately, we hope our data can support decisions that promote public health and equitable outcomes for community members,” Audra noted.
(Michelle Zhao is a science writer for MDB, Inc. and a contractor for the NIEHS Extramural Research and Training Division.)