Researcher found 400 facilities lacked public monitoring in 2022
Community advocates and environmental researchers in Louisiana have spent years pressing for expanded air monitoring — especially in predominantly Black communities near industrial facilities — but face a gap that leaves residents without routine data on toxic emissions, according to the Guardian.
Adrienne Katner, an associate professor at Louisiana State University and a former state environmental health scientist, concluded in 2022 that roughly 400 high-emission facilities in Louisiana had no public air monitoring. Communities only learn about toxic releases when there is a shelter-in-place order or an evacuation, Katner said.
The gap affects residents living near industrial facilities where emissions can include substances linked to cancer and other health problems. Katner’s finding underscores the concern among community advocates that residents near industrial sites cannot independently verify what is being released into the air.
MSI previously reported on related environmental justice challenges. In February, after the Trump administration revoked an EPA scientific finding that climate change endangers public health, experts warned the move would likely hit Louisiana’s industrial corridor communities hardest. In April, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered a Louisiana environmental lawsuit against oil companies back to federal court.