Demand the graves of enslaved ancestors be identified before being desecrated by a chemical plant
What's At Stake
There are over 180 petrochemical plants within an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The area has become known as “Cancer Alley” due to the high rates of cancer among residents.
A fossil fuel company called Air Products is gearing up to build a new industrial complex in the middle of Cancer Alley — an area that already has some of the worst air pollution in the country. Air Products’ facility, if built and operating, would emit another 185 tons per year of toxic air pollutants.
But not only would this new chemical plant bury this community in more toxic pollution, it could also bury its history.
Air Products has begun construction without conducting an archaeological survey of the full site — a known former sugar plantation where unmarked graves of enslaved people could be present. Allowing this project to proceed without a full investigation that involves the descendant community is careless and risks desecrating sacred ground and other important artifacts.
Earthjustice has been working with community members to raise awareness about the cultural legacy of the site surrounding the proposed plant. The U.S. Army Corps is considering a Clean Water Act permit for the proposed facility, but Air Products is already constructing on the site prior to the Corps’ review under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately call for Air Products to halt construction and require them to perform a full archaeological investigation with public input before any further disturbance occurs at this known archeological site.
Delivery to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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