The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is welcoming President Biden to Cancer Alley with a digital billboard.

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade released the following statement on the eve of President Biden’s arrival. This statement should be attributed to: Shaq Cossé, Louisiana Bucket Brigade Program Manager:

“President Biden’s acknowledgment of Cancer Alley in his 2020 Presidential campaign marked a significant moment in the fight for environmental justice in Louisiana, signaling a shift toward truth and transparency. For decades, the petrochemical industry has caused disproportionate harm, especially in Black and low-income communities, by releasing thousands of tons of cancer-causing chemicals every year.

As President Biden visits New Orleans for his Biden Cancer Moonshot, I commend his recognition of Cancer Alley and urge him to back this rhetoric with meaningful action. His Administration has given millions of dollars to the petrochemical industry for questionable technologies like carbon capture. This funding, made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, will enable the construction of new facilities that will emit more and more carcinogens.

Rather than subsidize this deadly industry, I call on the President to end federal permit approvals for new and expanding petrochemical facilities in Louisiana. We will never cure cancer if we continue to permit cancer-causing industries. That’s like trying to solve lung disease while still smoking. It simply does not make sense and will not work to focus only on the disease – focus on the cause. The time has come for federal intervention that prioritizes the lives and well-being of Louisiana residents over cancer-causing companies.

I cannot, though, call on President Biden to do more when our own Congressional delegation continues to support the fossil fuel industry. The President’s recognition is a far different tune than the one sung by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Despite experiencing cancer, Representative Scalise has shown little regard for the health implications from facilities like Venture Global liquified natural gas (LNG) facility. This spring, Representative Scalise toured the massive LNG facility in Plaquemines Parish, touting its economic benefits while refusing to acknowledge the severe environmental and health risks it poses.

The ever increasing emissions of carcinogens do, as Representative Scalise has pointed out, create jobs. But do we really want more oncology nurses, chemotherapy nurses, and cancer doctors? This is the job sector that grows when we put our chips behind such a destructive industry.

President Biden’s decision to recognize Cancer Alley signals a shift toward truth and transparency, and we urge him to back this rhetoric with meaningful action. The time has come for federal intervention that prioritizes the lives and well-being of Louisiana residents over cancer causing companies.

We stand ready to work with President Biden and his administration to ensure that the promises made to our communities are kept. The people of Cancer Alley deserve nothing less.”

ABOUT LOUISIANA BUCKET BRIGADE

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade uses grassroots action to support communities impacted by the petrochemical industry and hasten the transition from fossil fuels.

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