Cancer Alley Louisiana: Black Communities Face Industrial Pollution Crisis

The stretch of Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans contains over 150 industrial plants concentrated in predominantly Black communities. EPA data shows some zip codes have cancer risk 50 times the national average. In 2019-2021, community groups fought Formosa Plastics' plan to build a $9.4 billion plastics complex. A federal judge halted permits in 2022, citing failure to consider racial disparities.