On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Ascension Parish residents and local advocates held a press conference before the Baton Rouge Industrial Group quarterly meeting. The press conference called on political and business leaders to consider economic development plans such as grocery stores, schools, day cares, and playgrounds to develop the historic region.

“I’m sitting back watching the West Bank be overlooked, despite the beauty and the strategic location that we live in,” said Ashley Gaingard, Donaldsonville resident and president of the advocacy group Rural Roots Louisiana. “This is not what I call progress. The people that live there are descendants from the sharecroppers that built that land. These families have lived there for generations and now you call progress removing them from the land and making that ultimate sacrifice so we can have the West Bank grow? This should be the last resort to develop Donaldsonville into the community that it could be.”

The press conference comes after Ascension Parish’s announcement seeking firms to plan the redevelopment of 17,000 acres of property. This plan includes home buyouts to people who have been in their homes for generations.

“I wish our elected officials put the same time, effort, and energy into our community as they are doing to help someone from another country to make our community great instead of trying to destroy us,” said Twila Collins, Ascension Parish resident. “Why should we, the residents, be forced to move and give up our land to satisfy the hunger and greed of our political leaders?”

Donaldsonville is already home to the world’s largest ammonia production facility that stretches over 1,400 acres along the west bank of the Mississippi River. This plant is Louisiana’s largest source of greenhouse gases and toxic air and water pollution. Now, leaders are proposing three more chemical plants.

“Modeste have plenty of land for economic growth without harming the residents. The money that you would allow for tax breaks for industry can be used for development in the community,” said Collins.“The Modeste residents do not want our community destroyed and disrupted by industry. Our community already have enough pollution. We are being polluted by chemicals every day and we are surrounded by plants from every angle that are slowly killing us.”

Residents like Collins continue to speak out in fear of increased traffic and accidents around the plants, toxic emissions threatening health, chemical and/or gas accidents, and groundwater contamination. Reports show that fine particulate matter, such as ammonia causes early births, cancer, and respiratory issues.

For more information and access to b-roll, please access downloadable photos and video here. The ‘Ascension Parish: Prosperity or Pollution?’ report is also available for review for information on the industry projects, feedback from residents, and data.

###

Rural Roots introduces our kids to environmental justice, provides literacy and promotes community stewardship and earth care; making our communities aware and striving to educate our kids on the social justice and unfair exposure and how it’s inequitably distributed by teaching art and gardening.