petrochemical industry

Mississippi Power has maneuvered and finagled and managed to get a bill through the Mississippi legislature to make 185,000 families pay the bill to build this $5 billion coal plant. This would double our power bills… If they want to build that power plant, I don't care. But if they want me to pay for it, untried, untested, whether it every kicks out a kilowatt of energy or not, I say no.

On Monday December 3rd, Diane Wilson walked out of the Harris County Jail a free woman after being arrested for blockading a Valero Refinery. But her act of civil disobedience didn't end there: she's been on a hunger strike for 13 days, and says she won't stop until Valero divests from the Keystone XL pipeline. 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana - A June 14th release of Naphtha – a mixture of flammable liquid hydrocarbon – from ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Chemical Plant is under investigation for being severely under-reported by the corporation.

Clarice Friloux is a resident of Grand Bois, a small community bordering Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in Louisiana, and works as the outreach coordinator for the United Houma Nation.

Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO) has been working with churches and communities in southern Louisiana since 1995, organizing to give bayou communities a voice.

Press release from Sons and Daughters of the Kingfish, January 25th, 2012. NEW ORLEANS - The Huey Long flash mob assembled today to celebrate Huey Long’s defense of Louisiana is currently being denied access by police and hotel personnel at the Roosevelt.

According to a new report, the petrochemical industry in Louisiana averaged one accident per day in 2010.  Here are three stories from that report, written by people who have seen the impacts of oil industry accidents firsthand -- two community leaders who live next to refineries, and one refinery worker.

Press release from Residents for Air Neutralization, Community Empowerment for Change, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and United Steelworkers. November 14th, BATON ROUGE, La.