Tuesday, Denka, the Japanese chemical giant, made a major announcement. It will permanently halt all production at its Performance Elastomer facility located in St. John Parish, Louisiana. This decision comes on the heels of horrible financial results of 16.1 billion yen ($109 million) in losses over the last year. The facility is under fire for its central role in causing most of the area’s air pollution. This problem disproportionately affects host communities, especially those majority Black communities, that face the related health hazards.
Denka acquired the St. John Parish facility in 2015. Since then, it has garnered a reputation for environmental racism, due to its high emissions of chloroprene, a chemical that the EPA has declared a probable human carcinogen. Despite Denka’s claims of reducing chloroprene emissions by more than 80% since acquiring the plant, local residents and environmental advocates remain skeptical about the company’s commitment to public health and safety.
The Guardian has reported on this facility over the last several years. Their reports show that frontline communities are often subjected to disproportionate cancer risks. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened to require Denka to lower its pollution standards. In March 2021, under Donald Trump, they abandoned the lawsuit, calling it “ideological overreach.”
Denka cited several factors contributing to its financial difficulties, including increased regulatory pressures during President Joe Biden’s administration and a “sustained slowdown in the global market demand” for neoprene, the synthetic rubber produced at the plant. As a result, the company has poured more than $35 million into emissions offset technology. It nevertheless continues to face challenges in harmonizing operational viability with environmental sensitivities.
Local resident and community activist Mary Hampton recounted her shock and anger every time Denka operated, knowing what they were doing to other residents.
“It [the suspension of production] is not about us, the community. They don’t care about us.” – Mary Hampton of Boundless Community Action.
“There’s no guarantee that any long-term benefits will occur for the local community,” said Hampton.
“What I see now is that they never intended to get emissions down. But now they’ve been hit internationally they don’t have a choice.” – Mary Hampton of Boundless Community Action.
She cautioned that the suspension could be a signal of the facility’s sale to another operator. This new operator might reproduce the same terrible regulatory habits, perpetuating the cycle of pollution and public health dangers for local folks.
“I worry they’re going to sell to somebody else, who will come in with the same regulations and keep doing exactly what they want.” – Mary Hampton of Boundless Community Action.
Denka Performance Elastomer plant, located in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.” This region has become infamous for its extremely high localized cancer rates, largely a result of unevenly distributed industrial pollution. With the recent announcement to stop production, fears and uncertainty begin to set in for the future of the facility. The decision would have a ripple effect on the local economy and public health.