air pollution
Newsletter
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Chemical plant in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley halts operations amid financial losses and regulatory pressure
A chemical plant in Louisiana long criticized for endangering nearby residents with toxic air pollution has suspended production indefinitely following major financial setbacks and regulatory challenges.
In short:
- Denka Performance Elastomer has paused all operations at its neoprene-producing facility in St. John Parish, citing $109 million in losses, dwindling demand, and stricter environmental regulations under former President Biden.
- The Biden administration introduced rules targeting chloroprene emissions and sued Denka to cut pollution, but President Trump’s Justice Department dropped the case in March, calling it ideological overreach.
- Local residents, many of whom have lost loved ones to cancer, expressed cautious hope at the closure of the plant but remained concerned the site could be sold to another polluter with little change in emissions.
Key quote:
“They don’t care about us. What I see now is that they never intended to get emissions down.”
— Mary Hampton, Boundless Community Action
Why this matters:
Cancer Alley — a stretch of the Mississippi River in Louisiana dotted with petrochemical plants — has become a national symbol of environmental injustice. Residents, predominantly Black and low-income, have long reported elevated cancer rates and respiratory illnesses. Chloroprene, the chemical produced by the Denka plant, is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” Though Denka claims an 80% reduction in emissions, federal air monitors consistently report chloroprene levels far exceeding safety guidelines. The plant’s suspension may offer temporary relief, but it does not erase decades of toxic exposure or guarantee that future owners won’t resume harmful operations.
Related EHN coverage: Plastic's toxic reach in Louisiana
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Newsletter
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Cities rethink how to lure drivers out of their cars with better public transit
A growing number of cities are expanding and redesigning public transportation to cut emissions and congestion, but many drivers remain reluctant to give up their cars.
In short:
- Cities like Jakarta are investing in cleaner, more connected bus networks, such as the TransJakarta system, and offering fare-free minibuses to encourage ridership.
- Programs offering free transit, like in Tallinn, Luxembourg, and Kansas City, show mixed results, with some users shifting from walking or biking rather than from driving.
- Some cities are discouraging car use through measures like congestion fees, taxes, and eliminating parking to promote public transit and reduce pollution.
Key quote:
"The major challenge here, or the major homework here, is to push people to use public transport."
— Gonggomtua Sitanggang, Southeast Asia director, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
Why this matters:
Cities choked by traffic and smog are facing a transportation crossroads. Private vehicles are a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and their overuse contributes to urban sprawl, road deaths, and public health problems ranging from asthma to heart disease. Public transportation offers a lower-emission alternative, yet simply making buses free or adding a few routes won’t be enough. Many people are deeply attached to their cars for comfort, convenience, and social status, especially where public transit is seen as slow, unsafe, or unreliable. Efforts like redesigning cities to favor transit, adding protected bus lanes, and connecting neighborhoods through microtransit are significant steps toward shifting behavior. As urban populations rise, making it easier — and more appealing — for people to leave their cars behind may determine whether cities can meet climate goals and protect public health.
Related: Paris plans to swap cars for trees in a bold climate push
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Trump’s EPA quietly backs off from enforcing pollution laws
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically scaled back enforcement against major polluters, raising fears about the future of public health protections.
In short:
- In the first three months of Trump’s second term, the EPA has filed no major pollution cases and is initiating around 100 fewer civil enforcement actions per month than during Biden’s last fiscal year.
- EPA staff say all major cases were paused in April for review by political appointees, and enforcement is being filtered through a higher bar — effectively granting polluters more leeway.
- Several cases finalized under Trump were in fact initiated and negotiated under Biden, further obscuring the administration’s enforcement record.
Key quote:
““The future is grim for environmental protection. The risk will be most felt in overburdened communities, but this will hurt red and blue districts alike. If the EPA cop is not on the beat, then people are going to be harmed.”
— Gary Jonesi, former top EPA enforcement attorney and director of CREEDemocracy
Why this matters:
For frontline communities — especially those already choking on refinery fumes or watching industrial runoff trickle into local waterways — the scaling back of enforcement has serious consequences. Environmental enforcement protects communities from harmful pollution that can cause cancer, respiratory disease, and neurological damage, among other acute and chronic health problems. The federal pullback could leave millions at risk while letting industry operate without accountability.
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Newsletter
Zeldin’s EPA restructuring could curb climate action and strain environmental protections
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, is downsizing staff to 1980s levels despite decades of added environmental responsibilities and growing public health challenges.
Sean Reilly, Jean Chemnick, Ellie Borst, and Miranda Willson report for E&E News.
In short:
- Administrator Lee Zeldin is implementing a plan to cut EPA staffing to Reagan-era levels, even as the agency faces expanded duties regulating pollutants, climate emissions, and chemical safety.
- Critics argue the cuts will hamper EPA’s capacity to protect air, water, and public health, especially as staff reassigned from research and climate programs are unavailable to meet increasing demands.
- The restructuring includes eliminating key science offices and scaling back climate initiatives, with some staffers warning of an “extinction event” for EPA’s climate work.
Key quote:
“They don’t want to have a scientist focused in a single area where they can really build their expertise and ensure the highest quality risk assessments.”
— Betsy Southerland, former EPA Office of Science and Technology director
Why this matters:
The EPA has long served as the nation’s frontline defense against air and water pollution, toxic chemicals, and emerging threats like climate change and PFAS contamination. Since the 1980s, the agency’s mandate has expanded dramatically to keep pace with scientific discoveries and evolving public health risks. Today, EPA not only enforces traditional pollution controls but also grapples with complex, cross-cutting issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, cybersecurity threats to water infrastructure, and hazardous “forever chemicals.” Staffing cuts of the magnitude proposed by the Trump administration could delay or derail enforcement actions, permit reviews, chemical safety evaluations, and responses to environmental disasters. The decision to shrink or eliminate scientific divisions risks undermining evidence-based policymaking.
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Climate change-linked wildfire smoke blamed for thousands of U.S. deaths and billions in damages
Smoke from wildfires intensified by climate change caused an estimated 15,000 deaths and $160 billion in damages in the U.S. over a 15-year span, according to new research.
In short:
- A study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment attributes about 10% of wildfire-related particulate matter deaths between 2006 and 2020 to climate change, with Western states like California and Oregon hit hardest.
- Researchers estimated the toll by comparing real-world wildfire data with a climate change-free scenario, isolating the specific contribution of global warming to deaths from fine particulate pollution (PM2.5).
- Experts not involved in the research say the study’s methods are innovative, but some raised concerns about downplaying other wildfire drivers and warned against overrelying on emissions reductions as the sole solution.
Key quote:
“We’re seeing a lot more of these wildfire smoke events. What does it really mean in a changing environment for things like mortality, which is kind of the worst possible health outcome?”
— Nicholas Nassikas, physician and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and an author of the study
Why this matters:
Wildfire smoke is a growing public health crisis. The fine particles in smoke, known as PM2.5, are small enough to penetrate deep into lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Long-term exposure is linked to heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses, especially in vulnerable groups like children, pregnant people, seniors, and outdoor workers. As climate change drives hotter, drier conditions across the American West, wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense, pushing toxic smoke far beyond burn zones. Urban areas downwind from fires face poor air quality for days or weeks. And when fires burn buildings and cars, the smoke can carry heavy metals and synthetic chemicals, compounding the health risks. Smoke doesn't stop at state borders. Its effects are national, even global.
Related: LISTEN: Carlos Gould on wildfire smoke and our health
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Newsletter
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Aviation insiders call for flight limits as climate concerns soar
A newly formed coalition of aviation professionals warns that the industry must urgently control flight growth and adopt deeper emissions cuts to avoid heavy external regulation and environmental harm.
In short:
- Call Aviation to Action, a group of aviation workers, says the industry’s reliance on future technology and carbon offsets is insufficient to curb climate impacts.
- The United Nation’s aviation agency, ICAO, faces criticism for weak action, with emissions projected to keep rising despite efficiency efforts and offset schemes.
- The group proposes absolute emissions targets, fair management of flight demand, and a fundamental redesign of aircraft and fuel technologies.
Key quote:
“If we do not act, by 2050 aviation emissions will be about a quarter of all human-caused emissions – that will be really a very shameful position.”
— Karel Bockstael, co-founder of Call Aviation to Action
Why this matters:
Aviation’s environmental toll is growing, with the sector already responsible for more carbon emissions per mile than any other form of transport. As passenger numbers are expected to double by 2042, the industry’s promises of sustainable fuels and efficiency gains fall short of what climate science demands. Wealthier travelers disproportionately contribute to the problem, while poorer nations face challenges accessing air travel. Unlike other sectors, aviation’s global nature exempts much of its pollution from national climate commitments, leaving it under the purview of the UN’s ICAO, which has been criticized for industry influence and weak regulation.
Learn more: Van Nuys residents say airport pollution is making them sick as traffic increases
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Top Story
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals
One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.
HOUSTON — Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have previously violated the pollution limits in their permits have recently applied for new federal operating permits or renewals.
These facilities include the Chevron Pasadena Refining facility, the LyondellBasell Houston refinery, and the Chevron Phillips Chemical Sweeny Complex in Brazoria County, all of which are seeking renewed Title V permits.
Title V air permits are required for facilities that are considered major sources of air pollution by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In general, a facility is considered a major source when it emits more than 100 tons of most pollutants or more than 10 tons of hazardous air pollutants, which are known to cause cancer or serious health effects, each year.
There are 1,455 Title V facilities in Texas, according to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) spokesperson Victoria Cann. This represents more than 10% of all Title V facilities in the U.S., according to data from 2020, which puts the national total of Title V facilities at 12,726. There are currently 88 facilities seeking new or renewed Title V permits in Texas, according to TCEQ.
Chevron’s Pasadena refining facility
Chevron is seeking a renewal of their Title V operating permit for the company’s Pasadena refining facility.
The facility violated the Clean Air Act in eight of the past 12 quarters and violated the Clean Water Act in seven of the past 12 quarters, including elevated effluent water discharges of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes at levels up to 520% as high as the legal limit, according to the EPA’s compliance database. Benzene has been linked to a number of health problems, including an increased cancer risk and cell disruption. Ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes have been linked to short-term impacts like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, and long-term problems like memory, vision, and hearing loss.
Houston area residents recently gathered to attend a hearing on Chevron’s Pasadena Title V permit renewal. Some attendees shared support for renewing the permit, citing economic and community donations, while others shared concerns about health impacts from the refinery’s operations.
Inyang Uwak, an environmental epidemiologist and research and policy director at the environmental group Air Alliance Houston, said the refinery’s benzene fenceline monitoring levels have been above the EPA action level since April of last year.
While exceeding the action level is not a violation in itself, it does require the refinery to determine a “root cause analysis and take corrective action.” In the past two years, Chevron Pasadena Refinery has exceeded the EPA action level for benzene 18 times.
“I know benzene can be very scary,” Chevron Pasadena Refinery’s environmental manager Steph Seewald said at the hearing, stating that the new data for the first quarter of 2025 should be available soon, and is “trending downward.” Federal data to confirm this is not yet available at the time of publication.
Pasadena Refining’s general manager Tifanie Steele said that since Chevron purchased the refinery six years ago from Petrobras, the facility has made “several improvements” and cited decreases in overall emissions by “investing time and money into improving compliance.”
LyondellBasell’s Houston refinery
LyondellBasell's Title V permit hearing for its Houston-area refinery is scheduled for May 6, 2025, despite an announcement that this facility will soon close.
Violations in the last three years at this facility, according to EPA data, include one quarter violating the Clean Air Act, four quarters violating the Clean Water Act and three quarters violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs the disposal of solid, hazardous waste.
The future of the facility remains unclear, but the company stated it plans to start operations of “circular projects” in 2025. Residents and environmental groups like Air Alliance Houston say they hope this hearing will provide clarity about the company’s future in Houston.
Chevron Phillips Chemical’s manufacturing facilities in Brazoria County
Chevron Phillips Chemical’s second largest manufacturing facility in Brazoria County, which spans across three sites, is also seeking a renewal of their federal operating permit.
According the the EPA, the Chevron Phillips Chemical Sweeny Complex has violated its permits numerous times during the past three years: for one quarter it violated the Clean Air Act, for seven quarters it violated the Clean Water Act, for six quarters it violated the Safe Drinking Water Act, and for five quarters it violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area is home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of petrochemical facilities, accounting for nearly 42% of the nation’s supply. The dense population of petrochemical facilities creates concern about cumulative impacts for communities that live in these regions, which recent studies suggest are often underestimated.
In order to keep community members in the Greater Houston area informed, Air Alliance Houston told Environmental Health News that they maintain a database called AirMail to alert residents of upcoming public meetings regarding permits. The TCEQ has made attempts in the past five years to increase public participation in meetings through avenues like increasing language accessibility, but participation is still lacking.
“Similar to voting, [attending public meetings] is your opportunity to have a voice,” Air Alliance representative Cassandra Cassados Klein told EHN. “We know that civic engagement is a great tool in protecting our air quality.”
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