A proposal by Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi to build the largest chemical plant of its kind in the world in the heavily industrialized area known as Cancer Alley got a green light from regulators last week.

On July 24, 2024, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) issued permits authorizing Mitsubishi Chemical to build and operate a new petrochemical plant in Geismar, part of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on the east bank of the Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge.

The plant has drawn opposition from some residents and environmental advocates, including community group Rural Roots Louisiana. Pearl Ambeau, one of the group’s leaders, told the Louisiana Illuminator that “the air here is already so dirty that the kids can’t play outside anymore.” Once built, the plant could produce 385,000 tons of methyl methacrylate (MMA)per year and would be the largest facility of its kind. The chemical is used to manufacture pesticides, industrial solvents, surface coatings, and polyesters.

More than 5,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the planned facility, which has the potential to emit more than 82,700 pounds per year of hazardous air pollutants. Its potential greenhouse gas emissions would roughly equivalent to 158,000 cars driving for a year.