Denka Plant Closure Signals Victory for Cancer Alley Residents

Residents of St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana are looking forward to a reprieve from toxic air emissions following the sudden shuttering of chloroprene rubber manufacturer Denka Performance Elastomer LLC.

Denka Company Limited—the Japanese company that owns the facility in Reserve, La.—announced the closure on May 13, citing “pressure on profits” and “extraordinary loss” in financial health as catalysts for the shut down.

The suspension of operations is a huge win for residents in the area who have long complained of early deaths, high cancer rates, and years of illness they attribute to the plant, according to environmental justice ...