Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
Black Politics Now
No Result
View All Result

Justice Department drops lawsuit against Louisiana plant accused of raising cancer risks in Black community

Black Politics Now by Black Politics Now
March 17, 2025
in Department of Justice, Enviroment
0
Shutterstock 1077548639.jpg

A view of the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Taft. (TRELLIS)

74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

March 8, 2025 Publisher

You might also like

Rep. Jamie Raskin demands DOJ justify charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver following ICE facility incident

DOJ retracts Biden-era police accountability investigations and proposed consent decrees

LDF and NAACP urges FEMA to address racial disparities in disaster relief for Black communities affected by recent tornadoes

The Justice Department celebrated a decision to drop a federal lawsuit against a Louisiana petrochemical plant accused of worsening cancer risks for residents in a majority-Black community.

The dismissal Wednesday of the two-year-old case underscored the Trump administration’s commitment to “eliminate ideological overreach and restore impartial enforcement of federal laws,” Justice said in a statement.

At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew its formal referral of the case to the Justice Department. The agency said the action aligns with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s pledge to end the use of “environmental justice” as an enforcement tool that Zeldin was too often used to advance liberal ideological priorities.

Dismissal of the case unraveled one of former President Joe Biden’s highest-profile targets for an environmental justice effort aimed at improving conditions in places disproportionately harmed by decades of industrial pollution. Biden’s EPA sued the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in early 2023, alleging it posed an unacceptable cancer risk and demanding cuts in toxic emissions of cancer-causing chloroprene.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana and was formally withdrawn Wednesday.

The action is one of a series the Trump administration has taken as it moves quickly to reverse the environmental justice focus of Biden’s administration, placing roughly 170 environmental justice-focused staffers on administrative leave. Dropping the Denka case relieves pressure on a company that has spent years fighting federal lawsuits and investigations over its impact on public health.

Denka, based in Japan, bought the former DuPont plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, a decade ago. It’s located near an elementary school in a community about 30 miles outside New Orleans.

The site produces neoprene, a synthetic rubber that is found in products such as wetsuits and laptop sleeves. The Justice Department sued the company in early 2023, accusing it of emitting unacceptable levels of chloroprene, a chemical that may be especially harmful to children. A judge had scheduled a bench trial for April.

Dismissal of the case reflects the Justice Department’s “renewed commitment to enforcing environmental laws as Congress intended — consistently, fairly and without regard to race,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, who oversees the department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who took over the EPA in late January, said the dismissal was “a step toward ensuring that environmental enforcement is consistent with the law. While EPA’s core mission includes securing clean air for all Americans, we can fulfill that mission within well-established legal frameworks, without stretching the bounds of the law or improperly implementing so-called ‘environmental justice.

Source: AP News

Tags: Black Americans cancer risk factorsBlack maternal health LouisianaBlack men prostate cancer riskBlack women breast cancer riskCancer AlleyCancer risks in Black women
Share30Tweet19
Black Politics Now

Black Politics Now

Recommended For You

Rep. Jamie Raskin demands DOJ justify charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver following ICE facility incident

by Black Politics Now
June 5, 2025
0
House passes bill limiting federal judges’ nationwide injuctions

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has formally requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi provide documentation and explanations regarding the DOJ's decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.)

Read moreDetails

DOJ retracts Biden-era police accountability investigations and proposed consent decrees

by Black Politics Now
May 24, 2025
0
The U.S. Department of Justice in Washington has announced that three men affiliated with white supremacist groups have been sentenced for their plans to target an energy facility in the northwestern United States, according to prosecutors. Credit: Sarah Silbiger for The New York Times.

The named jurisdictions include Louisiana State Police, along with the police departments in Louisville, Memphis, Minneapolis, Mount Vernon, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and Trenton.

Read moreDetails

LDF and NAACP urges FEMA to address racial disparities in disaster relief for Black communities affected by recent tornadoes

by Black Politics Now
May 28, 2025
0
LDF and NAACP urges FEMA to address racial disparities in disaster relief for Black communities affected by recent tornadoes

In the wake of recent devastating tornadoes specifically in St. Louis, Missouri, the NAACP and Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) has called upon the Federal Emergency Management...

Read moreDetails

DOJ charges New Jersey Congresswoman with assault; US Attorney drops trespassing charges against Newark mayor

by Black Politics Now
May 22, 2025
0
The Justice Department logo is displayed ahead of a news conference at the Department of Justice on Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced criminal charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Democratic congresswoman from Newark, for assaulting a federal contractor. Simultaneously, federal prosecutors dropped...

Read moreDetails

DOJ Civil Rights Division opens discrimination investigation into Chicago city hiring practices

by Black Politics Now
May 22, 2025
0
The United States Department of Justice seal is shown on a podium ahead of a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, on Thursday, April 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has launched a formal investigation into the City of Chicago’s hiring practices, citing concerns over potential discrimination in its employment...

Read moreDetails
Next Post
Image Source: Yahoo Finance

Gender pay gap visualized

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

Related News

The Auburn University campus as seen on Thursday, November 9, 2023. (Photo by Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

Two Alabama colleges stand out with decreases in Black student enrollment

January 1, 2025
California is trying to lead the way on reparations but not clear on the path to take

California is trying to lead the way on reparations but not clear on the path to take

October 9, 2024
California’s Black Legislators make case for ‘Reparations Bills’ while launching statewide tour

California’s Black Legislators make case for ‘Reparations Bills’ while launching statewide tour

February 13, 2025
Black Politics Now

Get informed on African American politics with "Black Politics Now," your ultimate source for political engagement.

CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Criminal Justice
  • Data
  • Department of Justice
  • Diversity Initiatives
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Enviroment
  • Equity
  • Hate Crimes
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Investigations
  • Legal Defense Fund
  • NAACP
  • Policy
  • Real Estate
  • Reparations
  • Research
  • Sports
  • State Issues
  • Study
  • Supreme Court
  • Technology
  • Voter Rights
  • World

Quick Link

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of service
  • Contact us

Download Our App

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
SUBSCRIBE

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Join the Movement, Subscribe Now!(Don't worry, we'll never spam you!)

Don’t miss a beat—get the latest news, inspiring stories, and in-depth coverage of the issues that matter most to the Black community. Be part of the conversation and stay connected.

Enter your email address