Along Louisiana’s industrial corridor—known grimly as “Cancer Alley”—a growing movement is demanding environmental justice and accountability. As petrochemical plants continue to expand in predominantly Black and low-income communities, groups like RISE St. James and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice are amplifying calls to stop pollution, protect health, and end discriminatory zoning.
The fight is reaching new legal and political milestones in 2025. Here’s what’s happening now—and why it matters.
Lawsuit Challenges Discriminatory Zoning in St. James Parish
In October 2024, a landmark case filed by RISE St. James and other advocates went before a federal appeals court in New Orleans. The plaintiffs argue that St. James Parish’s 2014 land-use plan deliberately designated Black-majority neighborhoods as industrial zones—exposing residents to harmful pollution while white neighborhoods remained zoned for residential use.
The lawsuit, brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, accuses the parish of enabling racial discrimination through zoning policy. The court’s decision is still pending but could set a national precedent for how environmental justice intersects with civil rights law.
“We are not a sacrifice zone,” said RISE founder Sharon Lavigne, who has become a nationally recognized voice in the environmental justice movement. “We have a right to clean air and water, just like everyone else.”
Read the AP’s coverage of the lawsuit
EPA Lawsuit Against Denka in Cancer Alley Faces Rollback
In another blow to environmental justice, the EPA’s lawsuit against Denka Performance Elastomer—a chemical plant in LaPlace—was recently dropped under pressure from the Trump-aligned administration now in power.
The EPA had previously sued Denka for releasing chloroprene, a likely carcinogen, at levels hundreds of times above what the agency deems safe. The facility sits near St. John the Baptist Parish, where cancer risks are among the highest in the nation, according to EPA data.
More on the lawsuit rollback here
Environmental advocates, including the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, have condemned the decision, saying it signals a retreat from protecting vulnerable communities.
Community-Led Solutions: Education and Youth Empowerment
Despite federal setbacks, local organizations are building power on the ground. In New Orleans, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) continues to train young people and scholars in environmental monitoring, climate resilience, and policy advocacy.
At the same time, Thrive New Orleans received a $500,000 EPA grant to develop youth-led environmental education programs focused on Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
These programs aim to give the next generation the tools to confront pollution and climate injustice head-on—while creating pathways into green jobs and community organizing.
Read Thrive NOLA’s announcement
A Battle at the Crossroads of Race, Industry, and Power
Louisiana’s environmental justice movement is rooted in lived experience. For decades, communities have watched as industry expanded around them—often without consent or protection.
As climate change brings more intense storms and rising waters, the stakes have never been higher. And while environmental racism isn’t new, the legal challenges and grassroots pressure building in 2025 may finally force government and industry to reckon with the cost of pollution on human life.
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• The Displacement Crisis in Louisiana’s Black Communities
