Louisiana court upholds air permits for petrochemical complex in Cancer Alley

Source: The Guardian

Louisiana court upholds air permits for petrochemical complex in Cancer Alley

Decision helps clear path for Formosa Plastics to build US’s largest petrochemical complex of its time

Dharna Noor
Mon 22 Jan 2024 22.33 GMT
Last modified on Mon 22 Jan 2024 23.08 GMT

A Louisiana appellate court has upheld air permits for a giant proposed petrochemical complex in a region known as Cancer Alley, enraging local advocates.

The decision, issued on Friday, will help clear a path for Formosa Plastics to build the nation’s largest petrochemical complex of its kind. The project has long faced staunch opposition from local and national environmental justice groups.

“Once again the state of Louisiana is putting polluters before people,” Sharon Lavigne, founder of the grassroots organization Rise St James, which works in the region, said in an emailed statement.

Friday’s ruling overturns a 2022 decision that vacated air permits for the $9.4bn project.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/22/plastics-plant-louisianas-cancer-alley-air-permits