Environmental Integrity Project

Louisiana lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have allowed communities near oil and petrochemical facilities to access fenceline air monitoring data at more than 100 high-risk facilities. The state currently monitors air quality at less than two dozen sites.

If it had become law, refineries and petrochemical plants would be required to install and maintain fenceline monitoring systems, share hourly pollution data with the public, and alert the public in real time if pollution levels are unsafe.

EIP Research Scientist Kimberly Terrell has extensively studied the health impacts of industrial pollution in Cancer Alley. She told lawmakers that Louisiana’s existing equipment is not designed to detect many of the most toxic chemicals in emissions, such as ethylene oxide and vinyl chloride.

Communities living near refineries and petrochemical plants should have real-time access to air monitoring data so families know what they are breathing and can better protect their health.

https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/26/air-monitor/