FILE - Angelo Bernard, who lives near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, poses with his grandchildren who are visiting him for the weekend, at his home in Reserve, La., on Sept. 23, 2022. From left are Korinne Bernard, 11, Karmen Bernard, 9, and Anthony Bernard, 10, who used to attend Fifth Ward Elementary until Hurricane Ida forced them to move. Federal officials are suing Denka Tuesday, Feb.
“The company has not moved far enough or fast enough to reduce emissions or ensure the safety of the surrounding community,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said every community, no matter its demographics, should be able to breathe clean air and drink clean water. “Our suit aims to stop Denka’s dangerous pollution,” she said in a statement.
Regan visited the parish in 2021 during a five-day trip from Mississippi to Texas that highlighted low-income, mostly minority communities The Justice Department, in its complaint, agreed, saying the plant is exposing thousands of people to lifetime cancer risks “multiples of times higher than what is typically considered acceptable.”