Before Hurricane Laura hit the Gulf Coast directly, area residents were regularly exposed to high levels of toxic air pollution.
Pollution has been linked to increased levels of cancer and respiratory diseases for communities of color, particularly in Louisiana’s so-called ‘Cancer Alley.’
Now, Hurricane Laura has made the situation even worse, with emissions from chemical fires and oil and gas refinery plants.
Unfortunately, Gizmodo reports the amount of pollution Laura threw up is unknown because some important air monitors are still offline.
This lack of information doesn’t allow residents to know which areas are dangerous. Likewise, it makes it difficult to hold facilities accountable for their pollution.
