State regulators rejected three new wells amid concerns that more pumping could cause underground saltwater to contaminate Baton Rouge-area drinking water — despite arguments that the extra capacity is needed.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency said it has evidence that Black residents in an industrial section of Louisiana face an increased risk of cancer from a nearby chemical plant and that state officials have allowed air pollution to remain high and downplayed its threat.
Already pushed past its construction deadlines, a long-sought river diversion that has been in development for nearly four decades is expected to face at least another two-year delay before it’s fully built and provides flood protection.
Cities and towns nationwide are failing to properly restrict construction in flood zones, an analysis for The Times found, violating taxpayer-subsidized insurance rules.
The proposed rules reducing emissions across the country would not apply to many of Louisiana’s chemical plants. These facilities release tons of dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals like ethylene oxide, and more plants are on the way.
Industrial development usually targets poor communities, but Ascension Parish is one of the richest, and most toxic, places in Louisiana. Some residents say the financial benefits of living there outweigh the risks.
