Dead Zones USA:

Top Cancerous Air Pollution Areas in the United States

An extensive analysis has identified over 1,000 communities in the United States that are classified as hotspots for carcinogenic or cancer-causing air pollution. These sites suffer from carcinogenic air pollution as the result of leaks from industrial facilities of different types. There are some key facts derived from the dead zone report:

• Five of the top 20 carcinogenic hot spots in the country are located in the state of Texas
• Three of the top 20 carcinogenic hot spots in the U.S.A. are in what has become known as “Cancer Alley” in the state of Louisiana
• Locations on the hot spot list that are predominately Black American areas experience about double the cancer risk than do white locales

Texas Cancerous Air Pollution Hot Spots

The Texas locales that made the top 20 list of carcinogenic hot spots in the United States are:

• Port Arthur
• Port Lavaca
• Longview
• Houston
• Laredo

Cancer Alley in Louisiana

Cancer Alley in Louisiana consists of the communities along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There are areas within Cancer Alley that comprise communities that face a carcinogenic air pollution exposure risk that is 47-times higher than the EPA acceptable risk.

Investigation Reveals Deficiencies in EPA Environmental Tracking

The investigation and analysis reveal that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not adequately tracked the extent of carcinogenic air pollution in the United States. Those associated with the creation of the Dead Zone list report:

The … investigation underscored the weaknesses in how the EPA regulates air pollution. While the agency strictly regulates “criteria” air pollutants like particulate matter, it doesn’t set limits on emissions of over 180 so-called hazardous pollutants. And instead of tracking the cumulative emissions of dangerous chemicals in each area, it looks at (polluters) like refineries and shipyards one by one – an approach that underestimates the extent to which people living around multiple chemical plants are exposed to toxic air.

“The public is going to learn that EPA allows a hell of a lot of pollution to occur that the public does not think is occurring, according to environmental scientist Wayne David who formerly was employed by the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

EPA Threshold for Acceptable Cancer Risk Level

The EPA has established what it calls a threshold for an acceptable cancer risk. The EPA maintains that an acceptable cancer risk is one in which a single person out of 10,000 would develop cancer as the result of an environmental factor like carcinogenic air pollution.

The EPA does make clear that the agency’s own threshold level is not ideal. The EPA believes the threshold should be one in a million rather than one in 10,000. That is a significant difference between the ideal and the acceptable at this juncture in time.

Protect Your Legal Rights with an Experienced Chemical Leak Lawyer

If you or a loved one have been exposed to carcinogenic air pollution that exists as the result of some type of chemical leak from an industrial or other type of facility, the experienced, committed legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. If you’ve lost a family member as a result of exposure to carcinogenic air pollution, our experienced attorneys are available to you right now as well.

You can connect with The Doan Law Firm any time of the day or night by calling us at (800) 349-0000. A nationwide law firm, we can schedule an appointment for you with a chemical leak lawyer at any one of our 40 offices located from coast to coast across the United States. We can also arrange an initial consultation at your home or any other location that is convenient for you. A virtual case evaluation with a chemical leak attorney can be scheduled online as well. There is never a charge for an initial consultation with a Doan Law Firm chemical leak lawyer.

The Doan Law Firm has an attorney fee guarantee. We will never charge an attorney fee in your case unless we win for you. Our chemical leak lawyer team will fight tirelessly on your behalf to obtain justice for you and the compensation you deserve for your injuries, damages, and losses.