Human Rights Watch recently published a report highlighting the effects of toxic chemicals in the environment on the health of residents in the industrial corridors along the lower Mississippi River in Louisiana. The report found higher rates of poor birth outcomes among women living in south Louisiana, particularly in areas with the worst pollution. The blame is placed on the state regulators for permitting plants in areas with already polluted air and for failing to enforce federal standards. Human Rights Watch has recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency initiate an investigation into the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s administration of the Clean Air Act in the state. The organization aims to bring about change at both state and federal levels through its research and documentation of the harm being inflicted on communities in the region. This research is crucial as birth outcomes are often not considered in studies of toxic air pollution exposure. The report includes a list of recommendations to improve conditions in Cancer Alley, urging the EPA to take action and withdraw the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s authority to administer the Clean Air Act in the state. The lack of significant action and follow-through by the federal government in addressing the disproportionate pollution in Black communities has been disappointing, according to the report. The research conducted by Human Rights Watch is a step towards raising awareness and prompting critical change in initiatives and policies addressing environmental and human rights concerns in the region.
