By Bobby Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of CCSJ --- This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its lawsuit against the Denka facility in St. John Parish, Louisiana for violating the Clean Air Act and emitting dangerous levels of a cancer-causing chemical called chloroprene into our atmosphere. This is a significant step forward in protecting our community from environmental harm and I applaud the DOJ for taking action.
The Concerned Citizens of St. John have been at the forefront in this fight against Denka since 2015, when we first learned about their excessive emissions after researching air quality data and reports from both government agencies and independent sources. In light of these findings, we immediately began to take action by lobbying local lawmakers and state representatives, rallying public support through educational campaigns, organizing town hall meetings, filing petitions with regulatory agencies, and even filing a lawsuit to stop the Denka facility from continuing its operations without proper safety protocols or environmental protections in place.
Our relentless efforts have finally paid off now that the DOJ has decided to take legal action against Denka for violating the Clean Air Act by releasing dangerous levels of chloroprene into our environment. This decision not only shows that our advocacy is making an impact but also sends a strong message to all polluters that disobeying environmental regulations will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
As the founder and executive director of Concerned Citizens of St. John, I am proud of all the work my organization has done on this issue and I look forward to continuing our fight until justice is served and our community is no longer threatened by harmful emissions from Denka’s facility.
