Editing Cancer Alley (section)

==Activism and environmental justice==
In recent years in the United States, the environmental protection and civil rights movements have merged to form an [[environmental justice movement]] in response to minority and low-income communities throughout the country being constantly threatened by pollution.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Blodgett |first1=Abigail |year=2006 |title=An Analysis of Pollution & Community Advocacy in 'Cancer Alley':Setting an Example for the Environmental Justice Movement in St James Parish,Louisiana |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549830600853700 |url-status=live |journal=Local Environment |volume= 11|issue=6 |pages=647–661 |bibcode= 2006LoEnv..11..647B|doi=10.1080/13549830600853700 |s2cid=143642013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231930/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549830600853700 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022}}</ref> Many communities that face the largest burdens from pollution tend to be poor and consist mainly of minorities. Due to this, poor and minority communities will resort to grassroots activism to protect themselves. Many have also cited the EPA's failure to be consistent in their enforcement of federal environmental laws.<ref name="Castellón 15"/>

In September 2022, environmental justice advocates in southern Louisiana were able to declare victory after two decisions denied two major petrochemical complexes from moving forward.<ref name="ncronline.org">{{cite web |last1=Roewe |first1=Brian |title=Activists in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' hail halt to petrochemical complexes |url=https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/justice/activists-louisianas-cancer-alley-hail-halt-petrochemical-complexes |website=www.ncronline.org |language=en |access-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231930/https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/justice/activists-louisianas-cancer-alley-hail-halt-petrochemical-complexes |url-status=live }}</ref> State District Court Judge Trudy White released a decision that reversed and vacated 14 air regulations permits that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) had issued for the proposed Formosa Plastics Group complex in the town of [[Welcome, Louisiana|Welcome]].<ref name="ncronline.org"/> The town already has multiple oil refineries and industrial plants and is located in Cancer Alley.

Another group that has been actively fighting against the petrochemical industry in Cancer Alley is Rise St. James. Rise St. James is a faith-based grassroots organization that fights for environmental justice and works to defeat the proliferation of petrochemical industries in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The organization successfully defeated the construction of a $1.25&nbsp;billion plastics manufacturing plant in 2019 and is currently fighting to prevent Formosa Plastics from building a multibillion-dollar plant in the parish.<ref name="Rise St. James">{{cite web |title=Rise St. James |url=https://risestjames.org/ |website=Rise St. James |access-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231930/https://risestjames.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Rise St. James is also committed to educating the community and those outside of the community about the chemicals they breathe in every day. The organization's website includes a "Chemical of the Month" page and provides information on a specific chemical and how much it is found in certain areas of Cancer Alley.<ref name="Rise St. James"/>