The plant, located along a stretch of land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge known as "Cancer Alley," has long been operated by DuPont, a notorious U.S.-based chemical company with a history of endangering public health and the environment. However, DuPont sold the majority of its stake in the facility to a subsidiary of the Japanese chemical giant Denka in 2015, though the company still owns part of the land.
Though some state and local political leaders have touted the plant as a success story and "a win" for the local community, many residents have become increasingly concerned with the plant's release of chloroprene, a chemical used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, into the air.
In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed chloroprene as a carcinogen, stating that exposure levels greater than 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air lead to an increased risk of cancer. They also found that short-term exposure to high levels of the chemical can cause headaches, dizziness, respiratory irritation, chest pain, hair loss, gastrointestinal disorders, rashes, corneal damage and fatigue.
"We are being killed by chemicals that the state is allowing Denka and DuPont to pollute our air with," Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John, told Julie Dermansky of DeSmog. "We are fighting for our lives, and our children's lives."
Residents have become even more vocal about the plant's chloroprene output after EPA data recorded in subsequent years revealed that emissions have, at times, reached up to 765 times the "upper limit of acceptability" set by the EPA.
More confirmation of the plant's dangerous output of carcinogenic pollutants came last December, when the EPA's National Air Toxic Assessment, which estimates exposure for 180 air toxins nationwide, found that residents living around the plant have the highest potential risk of cancer from airborne pollutants of any community in the country.
Then, in April, a preliminary report prepared by federal investigators found that the plant had violated the Clean Air Act an estimated 50 times. Just one month after the damning report, nearby residents were found to have been exposed to chloroprene at levels that were 12 to 58 times the legal limit.
Despite the federal government's consensus on the dangers of chloroprene and the high rate of exposure faced by residents, state regulators assert that no proof exists that shows "immediate" health risks near the plant, arguing that the long-term effects of chloroprene exposure are still not well-understood.
The plant's current operators have stressed that both companies that have operated the plant in recent years have done so in compliance with its air permits. Though true, these permitted emission levels were issued before the EPA's findings concerning chloroprene's carcinogenic properties.
This year, in the wake of increased concern about the plant's chloroprene production from federal regulators and local residents, Denka has hired government relations firm Bracewell LLP.
The lobbyists listed include Edward Krenik, a former EPA employee, and Scott Segal, a partner at a firm that has advised the Trump administration and endorsed Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. Segal has worked with Pruitt in the past in attempts to reverse certain EPA regulations.
Reposted with permission from our media associate MintPress News.
Eye-Catching Designs Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles
The company sells a range of eco-friendly items like leggings, rash guards, and board shorts that are made using recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. There are currently 16 causes represented by distinct marine-life patterns, from whale shark research and invasive lionfish removal to sockeye salmon monitoring and abalone restoration.
One such organization is Get Inspired, a nonprofit that specializes in ocean restoration and environmental education. Get Inspired founder, marine biologist Nancy Caruso, says supporting on-the-ground efforts is one thing that sets Waterlust apart, like their apparel line that supports Get Inspired abalone restoration programs.
"All of us [conservation partners] are doing something," Caruso said. "We're not putting up exhibits and talking about it — although that is important — we're in the field."
Waterlust not only helps its conservation partners financially so they can continue their important work. It also helps them get the word out about what they're doing, whether that's through social media spotlights, photo and video projects, or the informative note card that comes with each piece of apparel.
"They're doing their part for sure, pushing the information out across all of their channels, and I think that's what makes them so interesting," Caruso said.
And then there are the clothes, which speak for themselves.
Advocate Apparel to Start Conversations About Conservation
Waterlust's concept of "advocate apparel" encourages people to see getting dressed every day as an opportunity to not only express their individuality and style, but also to advance the conversation around marine science. By infusing science into clothing, people can visually represent species and ecosystems in need of advocacy — something that, more often than not, leads to a teaching moment.
"When people wear Waterlust gear, it's just a matter of time before somebody asks them about the bright, funky designs," said Waterlust's CEO, Patrick Rynne. "That moment is incredibly special, because it creates an intimate opportunity for the wearer to share what they've learned with another."
The idea for the company came to Rynne when he was a Ph.D. student in marine science.
"I was surrounded by incredible people that were discovering fascinating things but noticed that often their work wasn't reaching the general public in creative and engaging ways," he said. "That seemed like a missed opportunity with big implications."
Waterlust initially focused on conventional media, like film and photography, to promote ocean science, but the team quickly realized engagement on social media didn't translate to action or even knowledge sharing offscreen.
Rynne also saw the "in one ear, out the other" issue in the classroom — if students didn't repeatedly engage with the topics they learned, they'd quickly forget them.
"We decided that if we truly wanted to achieve our goal of bringing science into people's lives and have it stick, it would need to be through a process that is frequently repeated, fun, and functional," Rynne said. "That's when we thought about clothing."
Support Marine Research and Sustainability in Style
To date, Waterlust has sold tens of thousands of pieces of apparel in over 100 countries, and the interactions its products have sparked have had clear implications for furthering science communication.
For Caruso alone, it's led to opportunities to share her abalone restoration methods with communities far and wide.
"It moves my small little world of what I'm doing here in Orange County, California, across the entire globe," she said. "That's one of the beautiful things about our partnership."
Check out all of the different eco-conscious apparel options available from Waterlust to help promote ocean conservation.
Melissa Smith is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.