Landmark Cancer Alley Racism Suit Faces Second Bid for Dismissal
A Louisiana parish is getting a second shot on Wednesday to argue for dismissal of a lawsuit centered around the petrochemical corridor known as Cancer Alley, a case that could bring novel environmental discrimination claims to trial.
St. James Parish will square off against residents and advocates Inclusive Louisiana, Mt. Triumph Baptist Church, and RISE St. James at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Their case targets a 2014 parish land use plan, amended in 2018, that plaintiffs claim violates discrimination and equal protection laws by designating parts of two majority Black districts as “industrial” or “future industrial.”
This is an important case, because it shows that “environmental discrimination claims are not just reserved for environmental permitting disputes” anymore, according to King & Spalding partner Doug Henderson.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/landmark-cancer-alley-racism-suit-faces-second-bid-for-dismissal