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Dear Friend,
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| More than 20,000 people call St. James Parish, Louisiana, home. Unfortunately, it is also home to many highly toxic plastic-producing petrochemical plants. High rates of cancer among residents have given the region its grim name, “Cancer Alley.” |
| For years, St. James community members have been fighting to stop industrial pollution that harms their health. So, when Formosa Plastics proposed a massive petrochemical complex that would triple toxic emissions in the area, residents were ready to rise up. |
| Despite the disproportionately high risk of cancer from toxic air pollutants that St. James residents already bear, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) approved air permits for this petrochemical complex. In response, we partnered with RISE St. James and other groups and together, with your support, we are fighting back in court. |
| I was in court earlier this month with my colleague Michael Brown, arguing on behalf of our clients that Louisiana violated the law when it gave Formosa Plastics the green light to emit enormous amounts of carcinogens just a mile from an elementary school and predominantly Black communities. But the fight to stop the petrochemical buildout in St. James and other disproportionately impacted communities is far from over. To see this through to the end, we rely on the support of generous donors like you. Will you consider making a gift today to help us take on this and other critical legal battles? |
| This project would not only cause further harm to the surrounding community with its dangerous pollutants, but would also intensify the impacts of climate change on St. James Parish and the Gulf Coast. The permits that we are challenging allow Formosa Plastics to emit 13.6 million tons per year of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to approximately 3.5 coal-fired power plants. Petrochemical plants exacerbate the climate crisis in countless ways, processing ethane from fracked gas and turning it into various chemicals used to create throwaway plastic products. |
| Profits are not more important than community health and the health of our environment. It’s time to fight alongside communities like St. James impacted by toxic pollutants. We don’t need more plastics, and St. James residents cannot bear any new sources of pollution. |
| We can stop the petrochemical industry’s continued onslaught on communities like St. James, but only with help from activists and donors like you. Join the fight today. |
| As always, I am so grateful for your partnership. |
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Thank you,
Corinne Van Dalen
Senior Attorney, Earthjustice |
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