"The Justice Department is preparing to drop a landmark lawsuit alleging that emissions from a Louisiana petrochemical plant poses a danger to nearby communities."
"The Justice Department is poised to drop a landmark lawsuit alleging that cancer-causing pollution from a Louisiana petrochemical plant poses an imminent danger to nearby communities, according to two individuals briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision was not final.
The lawsuit alleges that the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, threatens local residents by releasing unsafe levels of the toxic chemical chloroprene. The Environmental Protection Agency considers chloroprene — which is used to make synthetic rubber — a likely carcinogen, and the suit sought to compel the plant to curb these emissions.
Trump officials’ decision to abandon the case, which was first reported by the New York Times, has prompted alarm from environmental and public health advocates. They warn that the plant’s continued operations could harm the health of thousands of residents, including hundreds of young children who are especially vulnerable to carcinogens."
Maxine Joselow and Amudalat Ajasa report for the Washington Post February 3, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"Trump Administration Said to Drop Lawsuit Over Toxic Chemical" (New York Times)
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