Louisiana residents file lawsuit to stop polluting plants.

Residents of St. James Parish in Louisiana have filed a federal lawsuit against the parish council, alleging civil rights, environmental justice, and religious liberty violations. The lawsuit claims that the council approved the construction of several factories in two Black districts of the parish that emit harmful amounts of toxic chemicals, negatively affecting the health of the area’s Black residents. The plaintiffs are calling for a moratorium on petrochemical plants and seeking remedies for the environmental injustices sustained by the residents, including independent environmental monitoring of air, water, and soil.