EPA proposes new measures to curb toxic air and water pollution.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced a proposal to reduce toxic air pollution by requiring chemical facilities to monitor their emissions and take action when they exceed a certain level. The proposal would cut more than 6,000 tons of toxic air pollution a year and set "legally enforceable" safety levels for more than 80 toxic chemicals, including chloroprene. The Denka Performance Elastomer plant in Louisiana, which produces chloroprene, has been identified as a likely human carcinogen. The proposal comes after years of inaction by state and federal government in the industrial area of southern Louisiana known as "Cancer Alley."