Within Louisiana, the River Parishes (between New Orleans and Baton Rouge) consist of St. James Parish, St. Charles Parish, and St. John the Baptist Parish. Environmental justice organizations like Rise St. James Louisiana, Concerned Citizens of St. John, and the Descendants Project are speaking out and organizing against injustices in “Cancer Alley.”
Residents who live close to plant refineries and industrial areas face higher levels of human carcinogenic substances. This includes chloroprene, benzene, formaldehyde, and many others.
In addition, workers’ health and safety are also at risk due to their direct exposure to harmful chemicals.
According to the United States Coast Guard National Response Center, community members and workers reported over 300 incidents (2023-2024) of pollution and environmental hazards in the River Parishes alone.
One incident involved the Mosaic Faustina Ammonia Plant, where an unknown amount of molten sulfur spilled on the ground at the facility.
Another person reported that Atlantic Alumina (Grammercy, Louisiana) dumped unknown orange and red material into roadside ditches in an area with dead vegetation and a lack of waste cleanup.
Rise St. James Louisiana is a faith-based grassroots organization advocating clean air, clean water, and clean soil.
Their goal is to combat the increase of petrochemical industries in St. James Parish and surrounding parishes.
Founder and director of Rise St. James and the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, Sharon Lavigne expressed, “We are going to stand and 2025 is going to be even better because we are going to stand [up]. We’re not going to let Trump’s administration or no one stop us from speaking the truth. And in the future, we plan to bring down more industries that want to come into St. James, especially St. James Parish.”
The Black Wall Street Times interviewed Rise St. James members to explore environmental and cultural initiatives, impactful activations, and the importance of believing despite ongoing oppression.
The Black History Essay Contest and Impactful Initiatives
The youth hold the power to bring light to the truth. Every year, Rise St. James hosts a Black History Essay Contest for students (4th-12th grade) throughout the River Parishes.
Topics range from family ancestry to the connections between enslaved plantations and today’s petrochemical plant sites.
In Louisiana, petrochemical facilities are built near and on enslaved people’s gravesites, old plantations, and current cemeteries.
Their mission and hope are to inspire the upcoming generation to become informed and involved in the environmental justice movement.
“We want to educate, and we want them to do research. We want them to learn about their culture, their environment, the place that they call home,” Sharon Lavigne said.
The organization believes opportunities for the youth will encourage them to pick up the baton and continue the good fight.
In addition, Rise St. James is building genealogical efforts to connect Louisianians and surrounding areas to their ancestral roots. Through their, “Collaborative History and Genealogy Project” and “Home For The Holidays” campaign, they are ensuring that family histories, customs, and traditions stay alive.
“[The youth] can learn just by attending our Black History program. [They can] listen to great speakers, and hopefully we’ll inspire them to go to college, work on issues dealing with the environment, their culture, their livelihood, and what they want for their future because the young people are the future,” Sharon Lavigne voiced.
The Black American History and Celebration and Awards Ceremony is on Saturday, February 22 in St. James, Louisiana.
“We’ll honor the people who helped to stop Formosa Plastics from being built in the 90s, from 30 years ago. We’ll be honoring them and putting an emphasis on knowing your history, because here we are 30 years later, and we’re fighting Formosa Plastics and preventing them from coming into our community. They were successful back then, and we are successful right now,” Shamyra Lavigne said.
Rise St. James advocates for the community’s needs
As a faith-based organization, Rise St. James keeps their belief and trust in God and prayer at the forefront.
Due to the collective efforts of the community, in 2021, the former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Michael S. Regan visited the River Parishes during his “Journey to Justice” campaign.
Through moving conversations with affected residents, the EPA conducted an unannounced inspection of industrial sites.
In addition, they formed the pilot air monitoring project known as the Pollution Accountability Team and distributed environmental impact funds.
To add more wins to the environmental justice belt, the 23rd Judicial Judge John H. Smith, ruled that St. James Parish violated the law in having secret meetings about a proposed chemical plant.
“I testified in court about the Open Meeting Law. I felt like our Parish council and our planning commissioners betrayed us. We don’t know how long they’ve been doing that behind our backs,” Lavigne said. “We live here, and we supposed to know what’s going on, and they excluded us altogether. So, they’re not working for the betterment of the people. They’re working for their pocketbooks and their wallets.”
Due to the overwhelming opposing community comments, Mitsubishi Chemical Group halted their plans to build a massive petrochemical plant in St. James Parish.
Rise St. James believes that through community, organizing, and prayer, they’ll continue to end environmental injustices throughout the River Parishes.
“First of all, we have to keep God first. We can’t do anything without God. That’s why we are so successful because we include God in everything that we do. Other organizations don’t do that. We start off with a prayer at our meetings,” Sharon Lavigne expressed.
Environmental racism is a battle beyond St. James Parish
According to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, there are over 300 petrochemical facilities in the United States.
In addition, the facilities are highly concentrated in the Gulf South.
To add troubles, the region deals with excessive oppressive systems such as lower unlivable wages, inadequate housing and infrastructure, untrustworthy politicians, and more.
To expand the geography of petrochemicals, Southeast Texas, South Louisiana, and Oklahoma are home to Valero refinery plants.
All three states also have governors who endorse the growth of petrochemical industries.
In 2022, the EIA stated that Texas produces the most crude oil in the United States totaling 1,846,806 barrels per day, and Oklahoma ranks number six with over 547,000 barrels. With that, the U.S. produces the most crude oil worldwide.
Communities must share their stories to combat systemic and interpersonal oppression, environmental injustices, civic negligence, and more.
“I think it’s even more important for us to be community building. It’s a time for us to come together and be stronger than ever, like, that’s our that’s our calling. We have to come together. We have to lean on each other, even more during this season, because God is still in control,” Shamyra Lavigne-Davey said
With good news like the Lyondell refinery’s recent closing in Houston, Texas, and corporations fleeing developing petrochemical projects in Louisiana, the environmental justice battle will continue to advance.
“I don’t care who is the President of the United States because God gave this organization to us, and God is leading us, and we are going to win. But we can’t give up hope. We can’t let the enemy steal our joy,” Sharon Lavigne said.