"Rematch Looms In Landmark ‘Cancer Alley’ Civil Rights Case"

"A federal court is set to consider the legacy of polluting industries in places that disproportionately impact people of color and low-income communities."

"In a novel lawsuit brought early last year, a trio of Louisiana challengers laid out a sweeping narrative that traced a direct line between the oppressive legacy of slavery and allegedly discriminatory air pollution exposure.

But their bid to upend one parish’s land-use practices faltered when a federal judge threw out the suit eight months later on prosaic procedural grounds. Now, those plaintiffs are regrouping for a rematch before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Oral arguments in the case are set for Oct. 7 in New Orleans. At stake is what lawyers for Inclusive Louisiana, a nonprofit advocacy group, and two other plaintiffs say is a long-standing policy of “steering harmful industry into majority-Black districts” in St. James Parish."

Sean Reilly reports for E&E News October 3, 2024.

 

Source: E&E News, 10/04/2024