In a significant turn of events, the administration led by President Donald Trump plans to withdraw a federal lawsuit against a synthetic rubber manufacturing company. This company, accused of exacerbating cancer risks in a predominantly Black neighborhood near its facility in Louisiana, had been under scrutiny since early 2023. The legal action initially taken by President Joe Biden’s administration aimed to address environmental justice by targeting the Denka Performance Elastomer plant, citing unacceptable cancer risks and demanding reductions in chloroprene emissions—a harmful chemical associated with cancer.
Individuals with insight into the situation, speaking under anonymity as the decision remains confidential, have indicated that the Trump administration’s decision to retract the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana could surface soon. The news was initially brought to light by the New York Times. The move is emblematic of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era environmental justice initiatives, putting approximately 170 staff members focused on such issues on administrative leave.
Denka, which acquired the former DuPont plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, nearly a decade ago, has been under intense legal and environmental scrutiny. Positioned near an elementary school about 30 miles from New Orleans, the facility produces neoprene—a synthetic rubber used in products like wetsuits and laptop bags. Originally, the Department of Justice’s early 2023 lawsuit accused Denka of discharging excessive chloroprene levels, posing heightened risks, particularly to children—a case initially scheduled for trial in April.
David Uhlmann, who presided over enforcement and compliance within Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acknowledged the Justice Department’s efforts under Biden to stand up for communities plagued by harmful pollutants. Uhlmann criticized the Trump administration’s prioritization of a multinational corporation’s interests over American public health and environmental regulations.
Requests for comments from both the Justice Department and Denka’s legal representation were met with silence, as was a direct inquiry sent to the company.
Amid these developments, Denka argued they’ve been unfairly targeted by the EPA’s stringent rules demanding urgent emission reductions, claiming that other manufacturers had more time to meet similar standards. Denka reports notable emission reductions since they took over the plant in 2015 but also secured an extension for their compliance deadline.
Biden’s EPA had also probed into Louisiana’s air quality oversight, initially finding that local regulators failed to adequately inform the public about cancer risks from the Denka plant. However, a federal judge ultimately curtailed the EPA’s authority in pursuing this environmental discrimination case after Louisiana’s Republican-led administration challenged the agency’s jurisdiction.
The Denka facility is part of what is colloquially known as “Cancer Alley”—a corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge with a high cancer incidence rate, primarily due to its concentration of chemical operations. It contributes significantly to the U.S.’s petrochemical output.
In 2021, then-EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the area, promoting a federal mission to uphold environmental protections, asserting that inadequate regulatory enforcement exacerbated local conditions. Yet, with the proposed lawsuit withdrawal, local advocacy groups, like the Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish, express profound disappointment and concern over what they see as a backward step from improvements initiated under Biden’s governance.
Robert Taylor, a longtime advocate and leader in the community’s environmental efforts, views the decision as a “terrible” reversal, remarking that it suppresses their hope for combating toxic emissions. Supporting these concerns, the federal case highlighted air monitoring data, revealing chloroprene levels near the plant at concentrations up to 15 times higher than safe long-term exposure recommendations.
Critics like Deena Tumeh from Earthjustice argue that this policy shift signifies the Trump administration’s broader strategy to deprioritize communities heavily affected by pollution, favoring unchecked industrial progression.
This latest development underscores ongoing tensions between industrial interests and environmental justice, especially in regions historically burdened by pollution.
