Polluter’s Paradise

Environmental Impact in Louisiana

The petrochemical industry has grown in Louisiana, with more plants on the way, but the state’s environmental regulations haven’t kept up.

16 stories published since 2019

Air Quality Regulators in “Cancer Alley” Have Fallen Dangerously Behind

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

January 29, 2021, 6:00 am EST
Permit for Controversial $9 Billion Plastics Plant in “Chemical Alley” to Be Put on Hold

by Lylla Younes

November 5, 2020, 4:25 pm EST
How Louisiana Lawmakers Stop Residents’ Efforts to Fight Big Oil and Gas

by Sara Sneath, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

February 7, 2020, 2:00 pm EST
How Oil Companies Avoided Environmental Accountability After 10.8 Million Gallons Spilled

by Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

December 27, 2019, 6:00 am EST
In “Cancer Alley,” Toxic Polluters Face Little Oversight From Environmental Regulators

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

December 19, 2019, 1:30 pm EST
How an Environmental Regulator Became Known for Protecting Industry

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

December 19, 2019, 1:30 pm EST
Chemical Companies Are Building Their Plants Overseas and Shipping Them Back In. They Still Get State Tax Breaks.

by Sara Sneath, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

December 6, 2019, 12:30 pm EST
Health Officials in “Cancer Alley” Will Study if Living Near a Controversial Chemical Plant Causes Cancer

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

November 25, 2019, 3:32 pm EST
What Could Happen if a $9.4 Billion Chemical Plant Comes to “Cancer Alley”

by Lylla Younes

November 18, 2019, 12:00 pm EST
New EPA Rules Aim to Reduce Toxic Emissions. But Many “Cancer Alley” Chemical Plants Won’t Have to Change.

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

November 14, 2019, 4:30 pm EST
Even Louisiana’s Wealthier Neighborhoods Can’t Escape Toxic Air in “Cancer Alley”

by Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

November 1, 2019, 6:00 am EDT
Welcome to “Cancer Alley,” Where Toxic Air Is About to Get Worse

by Tristan Baurick, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, Lylla Younes, ProPublica, and Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

October 30, 2019, 12:00 pm EDT
Why Louisiana’s Air Quality Is Going From Bad to Worse, in 3 Charts

by Lylla Younes

October 30, 2019, 12:00 pm EDT
In a Notoriously Polluted Area of the Country, Massive New Chemical Plants Are Still Moving In

by Lylla Younes, Al Shaw and Claire Perlman

October 30, 2019, 12:00 pm EDT
How We Found New Chemical Plants Are Being Built in South Louisiana’s Most Polluted Areas

by Lylla Younes and Al Shaw, ProPublica, with Michael Petroni

October 30, 2019, 12:00 pm EDT
I’ve Investigated Industrial Pollution for 35 Years. We’re Going Backwards.

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

October 30, 2019, 12:00 pm EDT

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Polluter’s Paradise

Air Quality Regulators in “Cancer Alley” Have Fallen Dangerously Behind

Permit for Controversial $9 Billion Plastics Plant in “Chemical Alley” to Be Put on Hold

How Louisiana Lawmakers Stop Residents’ Efforts to Fight Big Oil and Gas

How Oil Companies Avoided Environmental Accountability After 10.8 Million Gallons Spilled

In “Cancer Alley,” Toxic Polluters Face Little Oversight From Environmental Regulators

How an Environmental Regulator Became Known for Protecting Industry

Chemical Companies Are Building Their Plants Overseas and Shipping Them Back In. They Still Get State Tax Breaks.

Health Officials in “Cancer Alley” Will Study if Living Near a Controversial Chemical Plant Causes Cancer

What Could Happen if a $9.4 Billion Chemical Plant Comes to “Cancer Alley”

New EPA Rules Aim to Reduce Toxic Emissions. But Many “Cancer Alley” Chemical Plants Won’t Have to Change.

Even Louisiana’s Wealthier Neighborhoods Can’t Escape Toxic Air in “Cancer Alley”

Welcome to “Cancer Alley,” Where Toxic Air Is About to Get Worse

Why Louisiana’s Air Quality Is Going From Bad to Worse, in 3 Charts

In a Notoriously Polluted Area of the Country, Massive New Chemical Plants Are Still Moving In

How We Found New Chemical Plants Are Being Built in South Louisiana’s Most Polluted Areas

I’ve Investigated Industrial Pollution for 35 Years. We’re Going Backwards.

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