2015-11-20
Shell employees volunteer to help shape a sustainable energy future in Louisiana.
On November 20th, 27 volunteers from Shell and Dickie Brennan and Co. traveled to Buras, LA, to start bagging the more than 1,300 tons of oyster shell collected as part of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program. ?The bagged oyster shell will be used to build a half mile long reef in the Biloxi Marsh during the spring or summer of 2016.?
“Louisiana produces roughly one third of the nation’s oysters, but currently 60% of the oyster shell removed is not returning to coastal waters,” said Jimmy Frederick, Communications Director for CRCL. “The Biloxi marsh is a high energy area, meaning that wave action causes a tremendous amount coastal erosion. Creating this oyster reef will help lessen the damage caused by the waves, help mitigate storm surge and provide a good environment for baby oysters to attach and grow.”
-Jimmy Frederick, Communications Director for CRCL
Shell donated $1 million to the CRCL in 2013 to help launch and support Louisiana’s first Oyster Shell Recycling Program as part of the Social Investment strategy for the Mars B project.?
“When developing Mars B, we were looking for opportunities to give back to Louisiana and the communities where we operate in a meaningful way and the Oyster Shell Recycling program was a natural fit,” said Rick Tallant, Asset Manager for the Gulf of Mexico East, “It's wonderful to see the success of this program and I am thrilled that Shell employees are out there volunteering to help shape a sustainable energy future for Louisiana alongside our great partners from Dickie Brennan and Co. and the CRCL”.?
25 restaurants in the Greater New Orleans Area participate in the program and, after one year of collecting oyster shell, it has become the largest oyster shell recycling program in the United States.?
“I knew this program would be successful. But what I didn’t know was that right out of the gate it would become the largest oyster shell recycling program in the country, “ said Dickie Brennan, Managing Partner of Dickie Brennan & Co. “It’s great to be a part of it.”
Participating restaurants separate the used shell from other waste and put them in purple bins that are collected and taken to Buras, LA, to cure for roughly 6 months before being used to build a new reef.?
More information about the Oyster Shell Recycling program and upcoming volunteer opportunities can be found on the CRCL’s website?
Shell’s Social Investment program awards grants to nonprofit organizations that are primarily focused on environmental protection and restoration, education and community development. ?Consideration for grants is based on a number of criteria including prioritizing charitable contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations with projects in communities where Shell operates and that align with our business drivers and specific project needs. You can learn more about Shell’s commitment to safely and responsibly developing energy resources by reading Shell’s 2014 Sustainability Report.
Read about how we are working responsibly to help meet future needs.
Shell is a top deep-water oil and gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico. Our focus is always on safe, responsible and innovative deep water operations.
Sustainability at Shell is about delivering energy in a responsible way to meet the world’s growing needs.
Get quick and easy access to information about Shell in the U.S. including press releases, images, speeches, and more.
?
Learn more about how Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasoline can benefit your vehicle.
Fuel Rewards, Grocer rewards, payment cards and more.
Find a gas station near me! Plan your route and find a Shell gas station close to your location.
