No public monitors measure ammonia, despite CF Industries’ Donaldsonville plant emitting more than 7 million pounds of the hazardous chemical each year.
The three chemicals that account for the majority of cancer risk in the area – ethylene oxide, chloroprene, and formaldehyde – are not monitored by the state at all.
Industry groups have fought proposals for better monitoring and helped draft a 2024 law restricting community air monitoring use in enforcement.
Leak Exposes System Flaws
On August 24, 2023, a leak at Marathon’s southeast Louisiana refinery revealed the limits of the state’s system.
At 6:50pm, the coast guard reported naphtha leaking from an above-ground tank. More than six hours passed before the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) began monitoring.
At about 7am, the leak ignited a massive fire, sending a plume of black smoke. Two nearby schools opened anyway.
Residents within two miles were not ordered to evacuate until 10:15am – more than 15 hours after the leak began.
Naphtha exposure can cause dizziness, headaches, and nausea. At least 29 residents were later treated at area hospitals.
The nearest state monitor measures ozone but not toxic pollutants released in the fire. The plant’s own monitors track only benzene at its fenceline.
By contrast, Marathon’s Los Angeles refinery continuously monitors more than 15 pollutants, as California regulations require.
“It’s not adequate to protect the health of the community living in close proximity to these industrial facilities,” said Wilma Subra, an environmental chemist from Louisiana.
