Environmental Justice at Risk: How Deregulation Impacts Minority Communities


A family leaves Sunday church services surrounded by chemical plants in Lions, Louisiana in October of 1998. Towns along the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge are known as "Cancer Alley" for the high cancer clusters linked to pollution from the many chemical and oil production factories. Andrew Lichtenstein / Corbis via Getty Images

HOME I I HI TECH NEWS I SPORTS I CONTACT


	Lydia Gerard, whose husband died of kidney cancer, sits with her eight-month-old great-granddaughter Kylee on the front porch of her home, located within a mile of the Denka Performance Elastomer plant, in Reserve, Louisiana April 1, 2025. (Reuters photo)
	Environmental Justice at Risk: How Deregulation Impacts Minority Communities Li Haung - National-Politics Tell Us USA News Network LAPLACE, Louisiana - Lydia Gerard, a resident of Louisiana's "Cancer Alley," fears for her great-granddaughter's future health due to toxic emissions from nearby chemical plants. The area, a stretch along the Mississippi River, is home to numerous industrial facilities, including a synthetic rubber plant that was sued by the Biden administration over alleged health risks. However, the lawsuit was dropped shortly after President Trump took office, as his EPA prioritized deregulation over environmental justice. Environmental justice programs, designed to protect minority communities disproportionately affected by pollution, were dismantled. Grants for initiatives aimed at improving living conditions in underserved areas—such as clean air projects, transit improvements, and energy-efficient housing—were canceled, sparking outrage and legal challenges. Cancer Alley has long been associated with high cancer risks, with multiple studies pointing to elevated health concerns. While industry representatives dispute claims that emissions have significantly contributed to cancer cases, local residents and researchers cite data showing increased illness rates among those living closest to the plants. The elimination of environmental justice programs, combined with deregulation efforts, has raised concerns among health experts, former EPA officials, and community advocates, who argue that marginalized communities will bear the brunt of these decisions. Meanwhile, business leaders supporting deregulation claim these changes will lower costs and boost energy production.