RISE St. James

St. James Parish activists and residents Barbara Washington, Gail Lebouef and Shamyra Lavigne (left to right) hold a fist up after their groups filed a lawsuit against their local government on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 outside of the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana in New Orleans.

Coastal Desk

'Cancer alley' residents ask federal court to revive lawsuit over new chemical plants

Halle Parker

Federal appeals court considers lawsuit aimed at pausing new chemical plants in St. James Parish.

The cloth bag in the center of the photo has a necklace of glass beads and postcard with a QR code that took parade-goers to a petition urging Citibank not to fund a massive petrochemical plant Formosa Plastics is planning to build in St. James Parish.

Coastal Desk

At Zulu this year, riders threw coconuts, plushies — and petitions to stop Formosa plant

Drew Costley (Verite News)

Members of the Krewe of Zulu flung cloth bags from their floats on Mardi Gras in protest of the massive Formosa Plastics complex planned in St. James Parish.

The silhouette of a coal export rises against the sunset over St. James Parish. It's part of the Mississippi River chemical corridor, which is home to more than 150 petrochemical plants.

Coastal Desk

A Louisiana court just revived plans for the country’s biggest plastics plant

Lylla Younes, Grist

When a judge in Louisiana struck down the air permits that Formosa Plastics needed for its new project in St. James Parish in 2022, it seemed like the long battle to block construction of the largest plastics manufacturing complex in the country was finally over.

Coastal Desk

'Cancer Alley' residents sue parish over cramming industrial plants into Black communities

Halle Parker

Residents in one of Louisiana’s most heavily-industrialized parishes sued their local government in federal court on Tuesday, accusing officials of cramming petrochemical plants into Black communities.

An aerial image of an oil refinery situated along the Mississippi River.

Coastal Desk

Gulf South activists say Ohio train derailment reflects their fight against petrochemicals

Danny McArthur

At a Hip Hop Caucus event, Gulf South activists pushed for stronger environmental protections in the wake of the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment.

Coastal Desk

Louisiana judge vacates state air permits for $9.4B plastics complex in chemical corridor

Halle Parker

A Louisiana district court judge on Wednesday vacated state air permits granted to a Taiwan-based company looking to construct a $9.4 billion plastics complex in St. James Parish, further stalling a controversial project that has faced backlash from some residents and environmental advocates.

Coastal Desk

Army Corps To Assess Environmental, Health Impacts Of Contentious Formosa Plastic Plant

Tegan Wendland

Advocates say the plant would pollute the environment and the air in St. James.

Coastal Desk

St. James Plastic Manufacturing Mega-Plant Could Be Canceled

Tegan Wendland

Work must be paused on a contentious plastic manufacturing mega-plant in St. James Parish after a motion in district court.The Army Corps is considering…

Coalition Marches From New Orleans To Baton Rouge To Protest Industry

Tegan Wendland

River parish residents are once again protesting the proliferation of petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton…