Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Cancer Alley
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Government action, 2011-present== The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Air Toxic Assessment looked at toxic emissions around the nation in 2011 and released the findings in 2015. The study found that the air in [[LaPlace, Louisiana]], which is an area in Cancer Alley, had a higher-than-expected level of [[chloroprene]].<ref name="Sneath">{{cite web |first1=Sara |last1=Sneath |title=State says St. John plant reduced emissions of a likely carcinogen by 85%, residents say it's not enough |url=https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_c98bff0a-b18f-11ea-810b-977dc55a813b.html |website=NOLA.com |date=July 6, 2020 |language=en |access-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231930/https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_c98bff0a-b18f-11ea-810b-977dc55a813b.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This subsequently caused the EPA to begin working closely with the owner of the neoprene plant in the area, Denka Performance Elastomer, and the [[Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality]] to lower chloroprene emissions. The overall goal was to lower chloroprene emissions by 85%.<ref name="Sneath"/> The state of Louisiana says that Denka has reached the goal of lowering emissions by 85%, but some residents remain skeptical. Many residents believe that instead of reducing emissions by a percentage, the emissions should be 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is what is considered a safe level by the EPA.<ref name="Sneath"/> In April 2022, the EPA initiated civil rights investigations of Louisiana state agencies. The probe focused on whether the process of granting permits along the industrial corridor violated the civil rights of residents who live nearby.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Schleifstein |first=Mark |date=April 7, 2022 |title=EPA investigates Louisiana environmental, health for racial discrimination in air pollution permits |url=https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_080b2ee6-b6a1-11ec-853a-47ef79c6ad53.html }}</ref> The probe specifically examined the [[Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality]] and the [[Louisiana Department of Health]] regarding the permitting of a Denka Performance Elastomers plant, as well as a proposed [[Formosa Plastics Group| Formosa Plastics Sunshine]] plant and a proposed Greenfield Exports grain terminal.<ref name=":3" /> In February 2023, the EPA and prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Louisiana filed a complaint against Denka Performance Elastomer under Section 303 of the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=February 28, 2023 |title=EPA and Justice Department File Complaint Alleging Public Health Endangerment Caused by Denka Performance Elastomer's Carcinogenic Air Pollution |url=https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-justice-department-file-complaint-alleging-public-health-endangerment-caused |website=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref> The complaint asserted that the company's LaPlace, Louisiana, plant posed an imminent danger to public health based on its emissions of cancer-causing chloroprene.<ref name=":4" /> Air monitoring near the Denka plant found chloroprene levels as high as 14 times the recommended level. According to the EPA, air monitoring near Denka's plant has shown that chloroprene levels are as high as 14 times the recommended level of 0.2 ΞΌg/m<sup>3</sup>, which has posed "an imminent and substantial endangerment" to nearby communities.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Krystal Vasquez |date=February 22, 2024 |title=EPA delays trial against neoprene manufacturer |url=https://cen.acs.org/policy/litigation/EPA-delays-trial-against-neoprene/102/i6 |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Chemical & Engineering News |language=en}}</ref> Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry sued the EPA, challenging the government's use of the disparate impact standard of the [[Civil Rights Act]], which says policies cannot cause disproportionate harm to people of color and continue greenlighting industrial activities in an area already overburdened by pollution. Five weeks later, the EPA dropped its Cancer Alley investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan |first=Delaney |date=2024-01-20 |title=The EPA Is Backing Down From Environmental Justice Cases Nationwide |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/01/19/epa-environmental-justice-lawsuits/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}</ref> In February 2024, the EPA requested a delay in an impending federal trial against Denka until after the agency finalized a rule expected to tighten emission limits for chloroprene.<ref name=":5" /> In April 2024, the EPA announced a new rule targeting more than 200 chemical plants across the U.S., requiring them to cut enough toxic emissions to reduce cancer risks for people living in those areas by 96 percent. It marked the first time the EPA had amended national emissions standards for hazardous organic pollutants in more than 30 years.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=WWNO |first=Halle Parker |date=2024-04-10 |title=For communities near chemical plants, EPA new standards on toxic pollution are a relief β’ Louisiana Illuminator |url=https://lailluminator.com/2024/04/10/epa-pollution/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref> The new rule requires plants to locate the source of toxic contamination and make repairs when emissions exceed standards. The plants are also required to install air monitors at their fence lines.<ref name=":6" /> In February 2025, the Trump administration planned to dismiss the lawsuit against Denka in line with its plan to eliminate DEI programs, including environmental justice,<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Lisa |date=2025-03-04 |title=Trump Administration Said to Drop Lawsuit Over Toxic Chemical |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/climate/trump-administration-lawsuit-denka-carcinogen.html |access-date=2025-03-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> as leading positions in the EPA were filled with former representatives or lobbyists of the oil and chemical industry.<ref name="friedman">{{Cite news |last1=Friedman |first1=Lisa |last2=Tabuchi |first2=Hiroko |last3=Davenport |first3=Coral |date=2025-01-25 |title=Trump Stocks E.P.A. With Oil, Gas and Chemical Lobbyists |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/25/climate/epa-staff-oil-gas-chemical-industry-lobbyists.html?searchResultPosition=120 |access-date=2025-03-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)