The Trump administration on Thursday dropped a Biden-era federal lawsuit against a synthetic rubber manufacturer accused of worsening cancer risks for residents in a majority-Black community near its Louisiana plant.
Denka, which was being sued by the Environmental Protection Agency, thanked the Trump administration, saying the lawsuit was "lacking scientific and legal merit."
The company also said it is "committed to implementing the emissions reductions achieved as we turn the page from this relentless and draining attack on our business."
Biden's Environmental Protection Agency sued the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in early 2023, alleging it posed an unacceptable cancer risk and demanding cuts in toxic emissions of cancer-causing chloroprene.
Denka, based in Japan, bought the former DuPont plant in LaPlace, Louisiana, a decade ago. It's located near an elementary school in a community about 30 miles from New Orleans.
The site produces neoprene, a synthetic rubber that is found in products such as wetsuits and laptop sleeves. The Department of Justice sued the company in early 2023, accusing it of emitting unacceptable levels of chloroprene, a chemical that may be especially harmful to children. A judge had scheduled a bench trial for April.
Environmental advocates slammed the move.
"The Trump administration's plan to dismiss this case should raise alarm bells for communities across the country and is a clear signal that the administration is not serious about enforcing the laws on the books that ensure we have access to clean and safe air and water," Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said in a statement to The Hill.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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