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FracTracker Alliance Announces 2024 Community Sentinel Award Recipients To Be Honored Dec. 4

On November 12, FracTracker Alliance announced five individuals will be recognized with the 2024 Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship to honor extraordinary individuals who have shown exceptional dedication in the movement for environmental justice.

This year's honorees are--

-- NaTisha Washington, Community Manager, Breathe Project, Pittsburgh;

-- Andrea Pierce, Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Policy Director at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition;

-- Roishetta Sibley Ozane, CEO of The Vessel Project of Louisiana;

-- Patricia Popple, Concerned Chippewa Citizens, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; and

-- Quinn Eide, Executive Director of Fossil Free California.

Each award winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and a commemorative award in recognition of their outstanding contributions.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship, a decade-long celebration of individuals dedicated to protecting the environment and advancing justice.

NaTisha Washington

NaTisha Washington is the Communications Manager at the Breathe Project in Pittsburgh where she works with over 60 partner organizations to inform residents about air quality and petrochemical issues.

Previously, she was the Environmental Justice Organizer at 412 Justice, advocating for EJ communities, and the Green Initiative Coordinator at Operation Better Block, leading youth programs focused on urban farming and community engagement.

NaTisha is the founder of Washington Green Solutions, co-owner of Just by Nature, and serves as a Council Member for Wilkinsburg Borough, advocating for equitable, safe, and healthy communities.

Andrea Pierce

Andrea Pierce is a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB), the Policy Director at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, and the lead organizer of Idle No More Michigan, where she focuses on Native rights and the campaign to shut down Line 5 and stop the Enbridge tunnel.

She co-founded the Anishinaabek Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party and has held leadership roles, including DNC Delegate and Chair of the LTBB Election Board.

Andrea is committed to protecting tribal lands and treaty rights and serves on the Washtenaw County Environmental Council and the Great Lakes Water Protection Action Network. She is also a mother, grandmother, and activist.

Roishetta Sibley Ozane

Roishetta Sibley Ozane is the founder, director, and CEO of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, providing mutual aid and environmental justice services to vulnerable communities.

She co-directs the Gulf Fossil Finance Hub, working to defund fossil fuels and invest in communities.

Roishetta is an internationally recognized environmental justice advocate, speaking on behalf of Black, Indigenous, and other communities for clean air, water, and sustainable living.

She holds degrees from McNeese State University, is a PhD candidate at Walden University, and serves on various boards. Roishetta is a mother of six and grandmother of one.

Patricia Popple

Patricia Popple is driven by a deep desire to care for others, teach, learn, and use her problem-solving and leadership skills to improve conditions for all living things.

After retiring from 37 years in education and caring for her mother for seven years, Patricia found her calling when she became involved in opposing a proposed frac sand processing plant in her neighborhood [in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin].

Her efforts have since focused on addressing the fossil fuel industry’s impact on conservation, the environment, and public health. Sixteen years later, she continues to advocate for justice, both locally and globally.

Quinn Eide

Quinn Eide is the Executive Director of Fossil Free California, an organization focused on divesting California’s two largest pensions, CalPERS and CalSTRS, from fossil fuels.

They work with union members, students, and Californians to achieve divestment through union pressure, state legislation, and direct board action.

Quinn is also a 2024 Environmental Leadership Initiative Fellow.

In their free time, they are involved with Rich City Rays, a Richmond-based “kayactivism” group working to shut down the Chevron refinery by combining direct action with community engagement through kayaking.

Dec. 4 Recognition Dinner

The 2024 Community Sentinel Awards Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 4, at the Westin Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA, and will be livestreamed for virtual attendees.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Dr. Carolyn Finney, a storyteller, author, and cultural geographer who explores themes of identity, difference, creativity, and resilience.

Eddie Mitchell, a grassroots organizer and politician from Ireland, will also join us to share insights from his campaign to ban fracking and prevent the development of LNG terminals in Ireland.

Click Here to register for tickets.

Visit the FracTracker Alliance website for more information on programs, initiatives, research, data available and much more.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 9 to 15 - Failed Well Pluggings; Leaking Gas Storage Area Wells; More Abandoned Conventional, Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 16 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 60 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 16 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Moms Clean Air Force: Pennsylvanians Call On State Leaders For Protection From Fossil Fuel And Plastic Industry Expansion [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Our Children’s Health Isn’t Partisan, Pennsylvania Needs Strong Pollution Protections From Fracking Now - By Rachel Sica Meyer, Beaver County Resident, Moms Clean Air Force [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Volunteer Laurie Barr Leads Hunt For Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Pennsylvania - By Ad Crable [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Announces 2024 Community Sentinel Award Recipients To Be Honored Dec. 4 [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Issues Temporary Supersedeas To Stop The Opening Of Catalyst Energy, Inc. Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County Until Hearing On Full Supersedeas [PaEN]