"Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration is pursuing a federal lawsuit demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turn over three years of its communications with journalists and activist groups, a highly unusual move that has provoked concern among press freedom advocates.
The lawsuit appears related to attempts by the state Attorney General’s Office to argue that environmental activists have wielded undue influence in the EPA’s bid to reduce pollution in industrialized areas of Louisiana, particularly the stretch along the Mississippi River some have labeled “Cancer Alley.”
As for the agency’s communications with journalists, the Attorney General’s Office has signaled it wants to find out whether aspects of the EPA’s initiatives in Louisiana were prematurely leaked to reporters, including details of secret negotiations.
The state’s demand, initially filed by Landry when he was attorney general and now taken over by his ally and successor Liz Murrill, raises serious questions over whether his administration is seeking to dampen reporting and activism related to Louisiana’s long history of petrochemical pollution."
Mark Schleifstein reports for the New Orleans Times-Picayune February 3, 2024.
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