A petrochemical plant in Louisiana accused of increasing cancer risks for a majority Black group indefinitely suspended operations largely because of the excessive price of lowering poisonous air pollution.

Japanese agency Denka introduced Tuesday that its artificial rubber facility hemorrhaged greater than $109 million prior to now 12 months. The corporate cited weakening demand, staffing challenges and rising prices as explanation why “enhancing profitability within the close to time period could be tough.”

Denka additionally attributed a lot of its monetary woes to what it has described as “unfair and focused” air pollution management measures.

Final 12 months, the Environmental Safety Company sought to rein in dangerous chemical emissions from a whole bunch of services together with Denka’s. The Biden administration’s environmental justice marketing campaign spotlighted Denka’s plant, situated about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Underneath the Trump administration, the EPA withdrew a federal lawsuit towards Denka alleging it uncovered a predominantly Black inhabitants to unacceptable cancer risk — the highest nationwide — from the power’s emissions of chloroprene. Final 12 months, officers shut down a close-by elementary school on account of considerations about emissions publicity.

“I’m elated that we’re waking up day-after-day now with no chloroprene in our air,” stated Tish Taylor, an area environmental activist. She added that she was below no phantasm that the corporate was involved about its influence on her group’s well being: “The petrochemical business round us doesn’t care about human beings. They care about their backside line.”

The associated fee to cut back air pollution

Denka produces Neoprene, an artificial rubber utilized in wetsuits, laptop computer sleeves and different frequent merchandise.

In suspending operations, Denka cited the “important price” of “air pollution management tools to cut back chloroprene emissions,” which the corporate stated it “didn’t anticipate” when it bought the power from DuPont in 2015. The corporate additionally cited “a scarcity of certified employees essential to function new air pollution management tools and implement different emission discount measures.”

In court docket filings final 12 months, Denka stated it had spent greater than $35 million on tools to cut back emissions by 85% since 2017. However dangerous emissions persistently remained higher than federal guidelines.

Denka stated it stays “deeply grateful” to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who supported the corporate final 12 months because it fought an EPA rule mandating the power swiftly scale back chloroprene emissions. Whereas the Trump administration has pledged to rewrite this coverage, the corporate famous the end result stays unsure.

Denka stated it’s working with Landry’s administration to contemplate “all choices,” together with “a possible sale of the enterprise or its belongings.” However no resolution had been made concerning a “everlasting closure” of the power or “workforce reductions.”

Landry didn’t reply to a request for remark.

A market ‘slowdown’

Denka stated it “faces a sustained slowdown within the international market demand for Neoprene, together with will increase in vitality costs, uncooked supplies, and restore work which have been exacerbated by inflation.”

The corporate’s assertion famous “rising vitality prices,” “weakening international financial setting for chloroprene” and “provide chain disruptions” as different components.

The Denka facility wanted giant quantities of chlorine to provide chloroprene, stated George Eisenhauer, an analyst with commodities consulting firm Argus Media. It prices greater than twice as a lot to buy and import chlorine into the U.S. because it does in different main chloroprene manufacturing websites like Europe, Japan and China, he stated.

The prices rose over the previous few years after a serious U.S. chlorine producer shut down, Eisenhauer added.

Trump’s tariff insurance policies haven’t considerably affected the value as a result of chlorine is often imported into the U.S. via Mexico or Canada.

Native activists stay cautious

Denka’s facility is within the 85-mile (137-kilometer) stretch of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge formally referred to as the Mississippi River Chemical Hall and generally referred to by environmental teams as “Most cancers Alley.”

Robert Taylor, 84, and different environmental activists warily celebrated Denka’s announcement. Taylor, who lives close to the power, pushed for stronger environmental laws, solely to look at the Trump administration roll them back.

“They’ve given these guys all of the safety they want from advocacy teams like mine,” he stated, referring to the Trump administration. “In order that’s why I’m a bit puzzled by the motion they (Denka) are taking now.”

He puzzled whether or not the corporate would ultimately resume operations or promote the plant to an organization that would restart manufacturing.

“I believe the group must be on guard and be ready to proceed our advocacy for our clear air and secure setting.”

___

Brook is a corps member for The Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.

Copyright 2025 Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Matters
Louisiana
Pollution

Storms accompanied by deep, booming thunder, lightning shows and highly effective winds swept by way of elements of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan in a single day — leaving scores of timber down and hundreds of properties with out energy.

The Nationwide Climate Service issued twister warnings and watches throughout the area Thursday evening into early Friday morning. Two tornadoes reportedly touched down in central Wisconsin. No accidents have been reported.

Surveys had been underway Friday of harm in Michigan to find out if any tornadoes touched down there, in line with Steven Freitag, a meteorologist with the Nationwide Climate Service in White Lake Township, northwest of Detroit.

The storms had been fueled by temperatures within the decrease 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and had been activated by a chilly entrance that pushed by way of, Freitag stated.

A wind gust of 76 mph (122 kph) was reported Thursday evening in Battle Creek, Michigan, whereas Grand Haven, Michigan, recorded a gust of 68 mph (109 kph).

The storms misplaced their depth as they moved additional east, Freitag added.

Indiana Michigan Energy, which companies elements of northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan, reported Friday morning that greater than 31,000 properties and companies had been with out electrical energy. That features about 90% of the utility’s southwestern Michigan prospects.

The storms initially knocked out energy to 35,000 prospects. Harm included downed timber and energy traces, and damaged utility poles.

About 216,000 Shoppers Vitality prospects in Michigan additionally misplaced energy.

ComEd crews in Illinois had been working Friday to revive energy to about 73,000 of extra 155,000 prospects who initially misplaced service Thursday, the utility stated. It stated Chicago, Joliet and Crestwood had been among the many hardest hit areas.

The specter of extreme climate in Chicago delayed a Beyonce live performance by about two hours Thursday at Soldier Discipline.

Freitag stated the principle chilly entrance was nonetheless transferring east Friday. Extreme thunderstorms had been anticipated to proceed by way of elements of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and southern Indiana, the climate service stated.

These storms might produce some hurricane-force winds, tornadoes and baseball-size hail.

“This may embrace intense supercells related to tornadoes, giant hail and wind harm,” the climate service stated on its Storm Prediction Middle webpage. “A number of robust tornadoes are anticipated, and a long-track high-end twister will probably be attainable.”

Picture: A tree lays on a home in Dorr, Mich., after a extreme storm ripped throughout Michigan the evening earlier than, on Friday, Might 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press through AP)

Copyright 2025 Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Matters
Windstorm

The widow of an Arkansas airport director who was killed throughout a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raid on his dwelling final 12 months sued the company and a number of other officers, claiming the company and officers acted recklessly and negligently.

Invoice and Hillary Clinton Nationwide Airport Government Director Bryan Malinowski died days after he was shot when ATF brokers had been executing a warrant March 19, 2024, at his dwelling in Little Rock. The ATF mentioned Malinowski shot at brokers, placing and injuring one, after which brokers returned hearth.

An affidavit launched after the taking pictures mentioned the warrant was associated to accusations that Malinowski purchased over 150 weapons between Could 2021 and February 2024 and that he resold many with no seller’s license.

Within the lawsuit, filed in federal court docket in Little Rock, Maria “Maer” Malinowski accused the ATF and 10 brokers and job drive officers of violating hers and her husband’s constitutional rights. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and requested a jury trial.

“The Structure requires reasonableness and, particularly right here, that defendants each knock and announce their presence and goal and wait an affordable time earlier than entry,” the lawsuit mentioned. “The ATF failed to take action, leading to a wholly predictable, unnecessary and tragic final result.”

The ATF mentioned it doesn’t touch upon ongoing laws.

A local prosecutor final 12 months mentioned an ATF agent was justified in fatally taking pictures Bryan Malinowski. Malinowski’s demise prompted criticism from some Republican lawmakers in Arkansas who’ve referred to as for extra info from the ATF.

Malinowski was a lifelong gun collector who would attend exhibits on weekends the place he would purchase, promote and commerce with others, the lawsuit mentioned. He didn’t know he was underneath investigation and fairly believed the brokers getting into his dwelling had been intruders as a result of they didn’t knock and provides him satisfactory time to come back to the door, the criticism mentioned.

“As we speak’s lawsuit seeks justice for the nightmare I’ve been dwelling for the final 14 months,” Maria Malinowski mentioned in a information launch.

Copyright 2025 Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Subjects
Lawsuits
Aviation