"An industry-backed bill to regulate how data from community air monitors is used was given final legislative approval Monday over objections from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and activists seeking to reduce pollution.

The measure, which now awaits Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature after a final Senate vote, comes with community air monitoring efforts receiving an influx of money and focus from the federal government, including in the part of Louisiana activists refer to as “Cancer Alley.”

Such efforts are intended to bolster the state’s official 40 or so air monitors, which community activists say have been insufficient to guard against elevated pollution levels in neighborhoods near Louisiana’s petrochemical plants. Such neighborhoods are often poor and Black, and have sought to draw attention to environmental justice concerns."

Mike Smith reports for the New Orleans Times-Picayune May 13, 2024. [2]