The Trump administration is reportedly on the verge of abandoning a federal lawsuit aimed at compelling a Louisiana chemical plant to cut down its emissions of chloroprene, a substance known to cause cancer. This legal battle, centered on environmental justice, has been ongoing for nearly ten years.

Chloroprene is a volatile chemical composed of chlorine and carbon atoms. It is used in the production of polychloroprene, commonly known as neoprene. This synthetic rubber is extensively used in products such as wetsuits and other protective gear due to its stability and resistance to breakdown. However, during the manufacturing of neoprene, chloroprene can be released into the atmosphere due to its unstable nature. The earliest significant exposure to chloroprene in a workplace was documented in 1973, with air concentrations within a monitored manufacturing facility hitting levels as high as 24,470 micrograms per cubic meter.

The carcinogenic potential of chloroprene was first recognized in the 1970s when workers exposed to it began showing elevated cancer rates. A study conducted in 1978 involving 234 male workers at a neoprene plant in the U.S. discovered 12 cancer-related deaths over a span of 15 years, which was three more than what would be expected from the overall company workforce. The study highlighted an alarming increase in cancers of the urinary system. Further research in Russia found that workers in shoe manufacturing exposed to chloroprene showed higher incidences of liver, kidney, and leukemia cancers.

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Studies involving animals have also indicated that ingestion or inhalation of chloroprene could lead to cancer. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeled it as a probable human carcinogen. The EPA’s review suggested that chloroprene might also be a mutagen, which means it could potentially damage DNA or cause genetic mutations.

The EPA has established a maximum chloroprene exposure limit of 0.2 µg/m³ over a period of 70 years to maintain cancer risk from exposure under 100 cases per million people. In 2023, the EPA initiated a lawsuit against the only U.S. plant emitting chloroprene, a site in Reserve, Louisiana, formerly owned by DuPont and now operated by the Japanese firm Denka. The lawsuit claims that the Denka Performance Elastomer plant has been consistently releasing chloroprene levels up to 14 times above the permissible limit. Recent reports suggest that the Department of Justice might dismiss this lawsuit as part of a broader effort to dismantle environmental justice initiatives. The plant is located in a predominantly Black community.

“It’s devastating, and I find myself unable to sleep,” shared Robert Taylor, a lifelong resident of Reserve, born in 1940. Taylor founded the Concerned Citizens of St. John in 2016 after becoming aware of the health risks associated with chloroprene. “I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on my family and my community. It’s like living in a nightmare,” he added.

Reserve is part of an area known as “Cancer Alley,” noted for its high concentration of petrochemical facilities and elevated cancer rates. Some industry proponents argue that lifestyle factors of the residents contribute to these rates, but a 2022 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters contradicted these claims, showing higher cancer rates remained even after accounting for smoking, obesity, and occupation, especially in predominantly Black communities.

Louisiana’s cancer rates are notably higher than the national average, which stands at about 440 cases per 100,000 people annually. “In Cancer Alley, these figures are even more alarming,” noted Kimberly Terrell, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic.

Evidence specifically linking the Denka facility to increased cancer risks emerged from a 2021 study published in Environmental Justice. This research, which surveyed households near the plant, found cancer rates significantly above the national average, worsening with proximity to the plant.

Denka has contested the EPA’s chloroprene exposure threshold, claiming it is overly restrictive. A company-funded study in 2020 suggested that the acceptable exposure limit should be over 100 times higher than the current standard, based on the assertion that mice, used in the studies, are more susceptible to chloroprene-related cancer than humans. However, an independent review in 2022 upheld the existing limits, finding Denka’s methodological claims insufficient to prove a lower cancer risk.

A Denka representative declined to comment on the potential lawsuit withdrawal. Meanwhile, Taylor and his advocacy group feel overwhelmed by recent developments. “We’ve been forsaken by our own country, left at the mercy of the chemical industry,” he lamented. “Who decided our lives were expendable? We are in crisis mode, trying to devise a plan. We can’t just give up.”