In brief
Since 2022, community activists in “Cancer Alley,” Louisiana, have utilized low-cost air pollution monitors. However, a new law mandates the use of expensive EPA-compliant equipment for data to affect pollution regulations. Activists are suing the state, claiming the law infringes on their free speech rights, enabling industries to suppress scientific data on air quality.
In the heart of Louisiana’s heavily industrialized regions, known as "Cancer Alley," residents are fighting back against a recent law that curtails their ability to utilize air quality data obtained from low-cost monitors. Since 2022, local groups in St. James Parish have relied on these monitors to track pollution levels along the Mississippi River. However, a law that took effect last year makes it illegal to use this data in efforts to enforce stricter pollution regulations. Under the new law, if community members wish to utilize air quality information to claim violations, they must invest in expensive monitors that meet strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Individuals failing to comply with this requirement could face daily fines amounting to thousands of dollars. In response, community organizations have initiated a federal lawsuit against the state of Louisiana, arguing that the law violates their constitutional rights to free speech. Caitlion Hunter, the director of research and policy at RISE St. James, stated, “The law allows polluting industries to silence the science,” referring to the way it restricts access to vital environmental data.Louisiana’s measure is unprecedented in the United States, although similar legislation has been proposed in Kentucky, which passed its own version this year, and another variant was debated in West Virginia’s legislature without success earlier this year. Despite the significant concerns raised, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has refrained from commenting on the unrest. Likewise, inquiries directed at Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill have gone unanswered.
