A recent court ruling has stripped Black communities in Louisiana of a key legal recourse to address racial disparities in pollution exposure, raising concerns about future environmental protections.
Adam Mahoney reports for Capital B News.
In short:
- A federal court ruled that Louisiana is no longer required to address racial disparities when issuing pollution permits, undermining Black communities' civil rights complaints.
- The ruling stems from a case involving pollution in Cancer Alley, where residents face some of the highest cancer risks in the U.S. due to industrial emissions.
- Advocates fear this decision will embolden similar efforts nationwide, as Republican attorneys general push to remove racial justice considerations in pollution regulations.
Key quote:
The ruling "gives industrial polluters open license to poison Black and brown communities for generations.”
— Patrice Simms, vice president for healthy communities at Earthjustice
Why this matters:
This ruling weakens one of the few legal protections that communities of color have to combat environmental racism. Without federal oversight, states can permit dangerous industrial pollution near vulnerable populations, worsening public health disparities.
