While oil usage is down globally, Big Oil wants to make petrochemicals their lifeline. As you read this, Joe Biden could approve dozens of new petrochemical plants in America. There are 150 proposed new facilities, and more than 900 currently exist in the United States. Texas, Louisiana, and the Ohio River Valley account for the majority of those facilities.
The devastating effects of these petrochemical facilities are all hitting communities of color first and hardest. Land in the Black community continues to be haggled away by people who don’t live in these communities but look to profit through petrochemicals production.
Several studies have shown an increased amount of people with cancer living near these facilities. And according to the World Health Organization, the top 10 leading causes of death include the health impacts from petrochemicals: respiratory conditions, lung cancer, and chronic pulmonary disease.
The Coolest Show Host Rev Yearwood spoke with expert activists from Houston, Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, and the Ohio River Valley to discuss how we fight to put an end to petrochemicals.
Louisiana: Sharon Lavigne of RISE St. James
In Louisiana, petrochemical factories are built upon the bones of African Americans as communities have been transformed into industrial structures. Sharon Lavigne is the founder of RISE St. James, a faith-based grassroots organization formed to advocate for racial and environmental justice.
Texas: Iris Gonzalez & Carol Smith of CEER
In Texas, between 2000 and 2016, petrochemical refineries released more than 400 million pounds of pollution into the air. However, in all that time, the Environmental Protection Agency never once consulted the most affected people. The Coolest Show Host Rev Yearwood dives into this issue with two experts from the Coalition for Environment, Equity & Resilience (CEER). Iris Gonzalez is the coalition director at CEER, and Carol Smith serves as its climate ambassador.
Ohio River Valley: Kathy Ferguson
The majority of petrochemical production in the United States has always taken place on the Gulf Coast. But, with low-priced shale gas from fracking in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, the industry sees the Ohio River Valley as a manufacturing goldmine. Twenty-nine new gas-fired power plants are projected or under construction in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.
