Seven years ago this month, LouisianaVoice published a story about a 22-year employee of the E.I. DuPont plant in Burnside in Ascension Parish who filed a whistleblower LAWSUIT against his former employer.
That suit, filed in Middle District Federal Court in Baton Rouge, claimed that the plant had consistently experienced toxic gas leaks on virtually a daily basis for more than two years without reporting the leaks as required by federal law.
Jeffrey M. Simoneaux, an Ascension Parish native who served for 14 years as chairman of the plant’s Safety, Health and Environmental Committee, also claimed he was harassed, intimidated and denied promotions after he said he complied with DuPont’s own internal procedures for reporting a leak of sulfur trioxide (SO3) gas, a known carcinogen which is regulated under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 and was reprimanded for doing so.
Eight months later, DuPont filed a MOTION IN LIMINE seeking to block plaintiffs in the Simoneaux matter from citing reports of prior leaks and regulatory proceedings against the company “not related to the gas leaks” at the Burnside plant.
Despite viewing videos of gas leaks at the plant, jurors in the case ultimately RULED in favor of DuPont but the presiding judge set aside that verdict in a major development. You can read about that ruling on page 42 of the December 2015/January 2016 issue of Louisiana Bar Journal by going HERE.
On February 17 of this year, THE GUARDIAN, a British publication, citing internal company documents, revealed that DuPont had sold its plant in Reserve in St. John the Baptist Parish “that emits a likely cancer-causing pollutant citing ‘major concerns’ that government agencies would regulate its emissions to protect the community living nearby.”
Sixteen days earlier, on Feb. 1, the same publication noted that until President Joe Biden mentioned Louisiana’s ”CANCER ALLEY” as he signed new climate and environmental justice orders, residents of the infamous Mississippi River corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, aka “Cancer Alley,” have been failed “by every layer of government” from the president to congressional representation to a succession of governors to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).”
On Oct. 30, 2019, online news service PROPUBLICA, working with the Baton Rouge Advocate and New Orleans Advocate, published an extensive story on “Cancer Alley” that noted to no one’s surprise really, that Louisiana ranked among the 10 least-improved states in the nation in terms of air quality.
But even as DuPont decides to punt rather than pony up the cost of lowering toxic emissions, other companies like Formosa Plastics are moving in along the corridor, creating what a UNITED NATIONS PANEL calls “environmental racism.”
Sometimes it seems that The Guardian, operating from across the Atlantic Ocean, is more concerned with the welfare of residents of Louisiana’s river parishes than most publications in the state as evidenced by a May 6, 2019, story about Reserve, identified as ”CANCER TOWN” because of its cancer rate, highest in the country – 50 times the national average.
Curiously, little in any of these publications is said about the campaign contributions made to state and local politicians who in turn deliver generous tax exemptions and other incentives to the 150 or so petrochemical plants along the 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
The concentration of plants that spew the toxins into the air contribute greatly to the state’s having the second-highest cancer rate in the nation.
It’s a trade-out in exchange for high-paying jobs for Louisiana residents – if the jobs only went to Louisiana residents but there has been growing skepticism over the promises of jobs the companies make to get those tax breaks. In St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, for example, the annual per-capita income is $15,000 – about a third below the state average and about half the national average despite the presence of no fewer than eight plants that employ some 14,000 people – nearly half the total population of the parish. Most of those employees, however, drive in from elsewhere.
ProPublica, quoted Louisiana Chemical Association President Greg Bowser as saying if plants don’t hire locals, it’s most likely because the candidates aren’t qualified. “Working at a chemical facility is a big undertaking,” he said. “To receive a job offer, it is necessary to have the proper training at a reputable center of learning.”
So, basically what he’s saying is that Louisiana’s citizens are under-educated – and he may well be correct.
It’s not as though Louisiana’s political leaders have made a real effort to lift the state from the bottom of every good list or the top of every bad list. Instead, they have historically turned their backs on the real problems by neglecting to properly fund public education, by refusing to pay teachers a livable wage and by placing higher priorities on closing mental health facilities, building more prisons and coming up with quick-fix solutions like legalized gambling that don’t really fix anything but, in fact, actually contribute to the problem.
Meanwhile, plans are on the drawing board for the construction of yet more such plants along the river that will receive yet more tax exemptions and incentives so that they can contribute yet more toxins into the air.
And parish elected officials, legislators, and statewide political candidates will continue to look the other way as they receive campaign contributions from the corporations and nice steak and lobster dinners from lobbyists of the petrochemical industry.
Louisiana Voice 
Louisiana politicians are so stupid. They sell their souls and fellow man “down the river” for a measly meal. Good heavens man! If you are selling your soul and violating the 2nd Great Commandment to Love Thy Neighbor As thyself assuring a certain perpetual afterlife in hell, at least make it worth your while in the short time you have in this life.
Oh, I forgot. You’re stupid.
Excellent writing and excellent information
This is one of the many reasons we are dead last on this list for the second year in a row:
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings
I heard Greg Bowser (with whom I used to work 3 decades ago) on WRKF the other morning presenting his case that there is no cancer alley and that the chemical industry continues to make progress. Given his job, that was no surprise. However, the evidence on the other side is much more compelling even if the industries are doing something to clean up their acts.
Mr. Winham: The Shreveport Times has been carrying an op-ed article from Greg Bowser, president/CEO Louisiana Chemical Association under the title that there is “no Cancer-Alley in Louisiana.” I was hoping that our medical and medical research representatives would post some information contrary to his but it seems that they missed this chance and his post has been running unchallenged for days. We need full and complete information on such a serious topic.
I agree, Edith. The last governor we had who made an effort to actually address this (and other of our state’s problems) via reform was Buddy Roemer, for whom both Greg Bowser and I worked at one time. Louisiana’s problems, as Tom and U. S. News and World Reports reveal (along with a myriad of others), are many and are largely ignored because our citizens have been taught they are not worth the investments of money necessary to change them. Nor do they trust them to be addressed wisely even if the money was there. It is far easier to simply ignore them or paint a picture of the fictional dire consequences (usually expressed in job losses) of trying to fix them. Add to this the apathy that prevents many from even being aware of them and the prospects for change are gloomy. The only way to escape depression about this is to laissez bon temps rouler – something we are (or were, pre-Covid) good at.
What has changed? If I read this same article 20 years ago it would read no different than it does today. The real problem is that there will be no more plants of any kind being built as long as the communists in power in today’s government continue their “green” NWO plans. People will be without heat or electricity or jobs at the current rate of decrease in production of plants. “Save the planet, kill the people” is where we are headed. All due to the communist Democrat psychopaths on the Hill and those running the show from behind the curtain. Add the poison coronavirus vaccines to the story and you won’t have to concern yourself with cancer causing industries along the Mississippi in Louisiana. People won’t be living long enough for any of that to matter. The psychos will get what they wanted, billions less people on this planet and a society where only the psychos exist.
If you are not attempting satire this reflects the most troubling thing in our world today – the different realities in which people exist. If you really believe what you have written you are on a different plane from mine and we will never find common ground. If even 30% of our population believes in your reality, or ones like it, the chances of civil peace are severely diminished. That is the tragedy of both our existences and that of our country.
Oh, I have written anything but satire. Take a good look at what the Biden administration is doing and who controlled the fraudulent election. Everything is being done by the Communist Democrats leading us in to full blown communism. It is very sinister and a very real threat to the entire world. These are the people behind the New World Order. They are putting their plans in our face for Communist Bill Gates and the Rockefeller Eugenics movement with the vaccines. America is going to be turned into a third world nation if you listen to Klaus Schwab and his World Economic Forum plans. If you have never known or read about communism and their plans for world domination then I can only suggest you start here: http://stateofthenation.co/?p=33778
Good lord, speaking of psychos…
And just where is your evidence of those “poisonous coronavirus vaccines”? Please enlighten us.
There are doctors and scientists who have spoken out everywhere about the harm of these viruses. Here are just a few examples of some of the doctors: Dr. Tenpenny, Dr. Martin, Dr. Day, Dr. Mikovits, Dr. Vollmer, Dr. Madej, and numerous others are on record having spoken against the vaccines for this coronavirus. Do you expect the lying news media to broadcast this information to the public when our communist government is behind this Bill Gates Global Eugenics plan? Try using your critical thinking skills if you possess them. You can watch this or not as I am not here to make a presentation to you, just give you some information from several doctors. The rest is up to you to find out. http://stateofthenation.co/?p=51206
Popcicle, it must be horrible living a life where you believe that the super rich, scientists, medical people and democrats are out to get you by spending their entire lives knowing the truth and lying. That you believe that so many of your fellow citizens are so despicable must be incredibly disturbing.
Please look at HR1 and explain to us how things like requiring non political groups to design voting districts is pushing the country toward communism.
“Please look at HR1 and explain to us how things like requiring non political groups to design voting districts is pushing the country toward communism.”
From a former state worker to OneStateWorker, I also would like to know. Do you know how easy it is for an incumbent to influence the make up of his district? The incumbent has the access to the staff and all of the numbers. I have seen members sit in the staffs’ offices discussing the drawing of his/her district.
Try watching some facts and truth here: https://153news.net/watch_video.php?v=H2UBMRW5G434
But you left out Fox, ION, and Newsmax for more additional facts and truth. Shame on you.