The Environmental Protection Agency spent more than a year investigating whether Louisiana's oversight of industrial air emissions discriminated against Black residents. That ended in June without Louisiana agreeing to change their practices.
FILE - Myrtle Felton, from left, Sharon Lavigne, Gail LeBoeuf and Rita Cooper conduct a live stream video on property owned by Formosa Plastics on March 11, 2020, in St. James Parish, La. The Environmental Protection Agency spent more than a year investigating whether Louisiana’s oversight of industrial air emissions discriminated against Black residents. The EPA’s investigation ended, however, before it secured commitments from the state to strengthen its oversight.
As part of the investigation, the EPA wanted to strike a deal with the state that would overhaul the review of industrial air pollution from factories there. The state had to agree to any changes. Officials also crossed out an EPA proposal that Louisiana appoint a scientific integrity official and that the state agree to make decisions supported by “the best available science.”
The state health department did not respond to questions about the draft agreement but said it “worked closely with the EPA to resolve this issue” and takes its civil rights obligations seriously, spokesperson Kevin Litten said.Messages and court documents show the negotiation between EPA and state authorities quickly broke down after the state sued to stop the probe on May 24, developments first reported by the radio station WWNO.
Less than a week after Louisiana made that argument, Sharon Lavigne’s phone rang while she was in her car on the way to breakfast. Lavigne, a Louisiana resident and founder of Rise St. James, one of the groups that asked the EPA to investigate state practices, said it was an EPA official reaching out to explain the investigation was ending and promising they weren’t going to forget about the community.But after hearing the news, “We just felt let down,” Lavigne said.
The Biden administration has prioritized environmental justice, creating a new office to focus on cases of alleged environmental discrimination and the White House ensures that a portion of federal investments in climate change benefit disadvantaged communities.
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