Being located along the Mississippi River in Louisiana provides a great deal of advantages to petrochemical facilities, including access to natural gas and a global transportation network. These advantages have created an "industrial corridor" in the parishes along the river, such as Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and West Baton Rouge.
One claim made repeatedly by opposition to new facilities or facility expansions is that people residing in the industrial corridor experience a higher rate of incidence and mortality related to cancer. Objective data contradicts these claims, however, and establishes cancer and death rates in the industrial corridor are lower than or not significantly different from those in the rest of the state.
Louisiana law requires health care providers to report cancer cases to the Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR). LTR collects all this data and publishes annual reports regarding cancer incidences and deaths. The empirical data published by the LTR shows cancer rates for white men, black men and black women in the industrial corridor do not differ significantly from the rates for the rest of the state's general population. Rates for all cancers combined among white women were significantly lower than the statewide rate. Additionally, death rates for all cancers combined in the industrial corridor were significantly lower than those for whites in Louisiana, while black Louisianans in the industrial corridor exhibit the same mortality rates as their counterparts statewide.
A recent report issued by the LTR, "Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract, 2005-2015," re-establishes this point. The report provides census tract-level information regarding actual incidences of cancer for census tracts meeting the reporting threshold. To be included, the census tract's population count was required to exceed 20,000 and the case count to exceed 15 -- meaning 16 or more -- cases when combining the 2005-2015 data. There are about 146 census tracts in the industrial corridor, and 128 of the census tracts -- 88 percent -- do not have a significantly higher cancer rates.
Some claim cancer risks are also higher in the industrial corridor. Again, the facts do not support this claim. A study titled "Uneven Magnitude of Disparities in Cancer Risks from Air Toxics," which has been cited at multiple public hearings by advocacy groups speaking in opposition to petrochemical permits, compares the estimated risks of cancer based on exposure to certain toxic air pollutants. The vast majority of high-risk areas in the study are situated within the urban areas of Orleans and East Baton Rouge parishes, which are well removed from the loci of industrial activity. By contrast, the study found most other census tracts in the industrial corridor are at a "low risk" of cancer caused by air toxics exposure. In fact, the study notes the "residents living adjacent to petrochemical plants fail to report any substantial mortality differentials, meaning residents at presumably the greatest risk do not report worse outcomes."
Claims by environmental groups ignore the fact that there are numerous risk factors that contribute to contracting cancer, including diet, obesity, smoking status and genetics, among others. As for cancer caused by industrial emissions, the LTR's objective analysis establishes cancer incidence and death rates in the industrial corridor are lower than or not significantly different from those in the rest of the state. As a result, there is no truth to the claim cancer incidence and deaths in the industrial corridor are higher because of proximity to industrial activity.
John B. King is a partner with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His practice relates mainly to environmental regulatory permitting and compliance. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, he served as chief attorney for enforcement for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information, visit www.bswenviroblog.com or contact John B. King at jbk@bswllp.com or (225) 381-8014.
