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Environment

Polluter’s Paradise

Environmental Impact in Louisiana

The petrochemical industry has grown in Louisiana, with more plants on the way, but the state’s environmental regulations haven’t kept up.

16 stories published since 2019

Air Quality Regulators in “Cancer Alley” Have Fallen Dangerously Behind

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Brett Duke/The Times-Picayune and The Advocate

Permit for Controversial $9 Billion Plastics Plant in “Chemical Alley” to Be Put on Hold

by Lylla Younes,

How Louisiana Lawmakers Stop Residents’ Efforts to Fight Big Oil and Gas

by Sara Sneath, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

How Oil Companies Avoided Environmental Accountability After 10.8 Million Gallons Spilled

by Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

How an Environmental Regulator Became Known for Protecting Industry

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

In “Cancer Alley,” Toxic Polluters Face Little Oversight From Environmental Regulators

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Chemical Companies Are Building Their Plants Overseas and Shipping Them Back In. They Still Get State Tax Breaks.

by Sara Sneath, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Health Officials in “Cancer Alley” Will Study if Living Near a Controversial Chemical Plant Causes Cancer

by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

What Could Happen if a $9.4 Billion Chemical Plant Comes to “Cancer Alley”

by Lylla Younes,

New EPA Rules Aim to Reduce Toxic Emissions. But Many “Cancer Alley” Chemical Plants Won’t Have to Change.

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Even Louisiana’s Wealthier Neighborhoods Can’t Escape Toxic Air in “Cancer Alley”

by Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Welcome to “Cancer Alley,” Where Toxic Air Is About to Get Worse

by Tristan Baurick, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, Lylla Younes, ProPublica, and Joan Meiners, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

Why Louisiana’s Air Quality Is Going From Bad to Worse, in 3 Charts

by Lylla Younes,

How We Found New Chemical Plants Are Being Built in South Louisiana’s Most Polluted Areas

by Lylla Younes and Al Shaw, ProPublica, with Michael Petroni,

I’ve Investigated Industrial Pollution for 35 Years. We’re Going Backwards.

by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate,

In a Notoriously Polluted Area of the Country, Massive New Chemical Plants Are Still Moving In

by Lylla Younes, Al Shaw and Claire Perlman,

What We’re Watching

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Most Read
    Rx Roulette

    FDA Layoffs Could Compromise Safety of Medications Made at Foreign Factories, Inspectors Say

    Beyond staff cuts, the departures of some longtime investigators in recent months have left less experienced people tasked with rooting out dangerous manufacturing practices.

    by Victoria Malis, Katherine Dailey and Sadie Leite, Medill Investigative Lab, and Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose, ProPublica,

    This Doctor Specializes in Diagnosing Child Abuse. Some of Her Conclusions Have Been Called Into Question.

    Dr. Nancy Harper is a leading child abuse pediatrician who testifies in trials across the Midwest. She’s claimed to have never incorrectly diagnosed a shaken baby syndrome case, but some judges and juries seem to disagree.

    by Jessica Lussenhop, and photography by Sarahbeth Maney,

    A Doctor Challenged the Opinion of a Powerful Child Abuse Specialist. Then He Lost His Job.

    A Minneapolis pediatrician said he felt pressured to “fall in line” with child abuse specialist Dr. Nancy Harper and her team. Then he was given a choice: resign or be fired.

    by Jessica Lussenhop, and photography by Sarahbeth Maney,

    Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations

    A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirements, experts say.

    by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski,

    Life of the Mother

    A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage

    A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.

    by Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser and Andrea Suozzo,