Historical Development of Environmental Racism in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley

Abstract

For decades, residents within the predominately Black parishes that are located within the Cancer Alley region of Louisiana have been reporting high cancer rates and other negative health effects as a result of pollution from neighboring petrochemical industries. Although there are conflicting reports regarding whether the region’s cancer rates surpass the state average, there is a complex history of environmental racism that resulted in Black communities living adjacent to polluting facilities. This paper draws upon secondary and tertiary sources to conduct a historical analysis of the region to understand how environmental racism and the growth of the petrochemical industry shaped the region. The analysis indicates that the region’s history of slavery, redlining, and government support for the petrochemical and oil industries contributed to the emergence of predominantly Black fenceline communities. Moreover, both the state and federal governments failed to protect these communities from polluting facilities by not adequately enforcing emission regulations.