Denka, DuPont in Laplace among petrochemical plants exempt from EPA pollution limits

Published 5:31 am Saturday, July 26, 2025

By Amos Abba

Denka petrochemical plant in Laplace.
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

President Trump’s recent proclamation will permit 25 chemical manufacturers, including 12 in Louisiana, to bypass new federal emission limits.

Last week, Trump issued “regulatory relief for certain stationary sources to promote American chemical manufacturing security.” This created a two-year exemption from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) May Hazardous Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, or the HON rule.   

“The HON Rule imposes substantial burdens on chemical manufacturers already operating under stringent regulations,” Trump said in his proclamation. “Many of the testing and monitoring requirements outlined in the HON Rule rely on technologies that are not practically available, not demonstrated at the necessary scale, or cannot be implemented safely or consistently under real-world conditions.”

The facilities in Louisiana now exempt from the HON rule include:

Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. said Trump’s proclamation is based on the false claim that there is already strict government oversight of chemical facilities. 

U.S. Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr. sharply criticized Trump’s proclamation this week for granting a two-year exemption to 12 petrochemical companies in Louisiana, calling the decision “appalling” and a threat to public health.

“As the U.S. Congressman from Louisiana—where most of these petrochemical facilities are located—I find it appalling that this administration shows so little regard for the health of communities, families, and workers living near these plants.

Carter, a Democrat representing Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, emphasized that industry and communities can coexist only when “the safety and well-being of people come first.”

“Granting twelve petrochemical companies in Louisiana a two-year exemption from a 2024 rule that aimed to reduce pollution and cancer risk is reckless. That rule was designed to lower emissions of toxic chemicals, such as ethylene oxide and chloroprene, by over 6,200 tons per year and reduce cancer risk by up to 96% for nearby communities.

“Polluters and violators should not get a free pass. We can protect jobs and protect people—but profits should never come at the cost of public health. I am committed to holding these companies—and this administration—accountable,” he said.

Many facilities on Trump’s HON rule exclusion list have environmental concerns, with Denka Performance Elastomers in Laplace being the most prominent.

In February 2023, the EPA and DOJ sued the company, alleging that its neoprene operations pose an imminent threat to public health due to cancer risks associated with chloroprene emissions.

The Biden administration has demanded that Denka reduce chloroprene and ethylene oxide emissions at its LaPlace plant. The EPA gave Denka 90 days, unlike the two years allotted for other facilities. Gov. Jeff Landry accused the federal agency of trying to shut down the Denka site.

Within weeks of Trump returning to the White House, the Justice Department had the EPA lawsuit dismissed. In September, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reported a chloroprene leak at the Denka plant, forcing it to halt operations. The EPA identified five census tracts in LaPlace with the highest chloroprene exposure in the U.S., all linked to the Denka plant.

Other incidents at the exempted chemical plants have also made the news.

In July 2023, a fire at Dow Chemical’s glycol plant in Plaquemine burned for two days. The plant has experienced multiple emergencies since 2019, including four unauthorized releases of ethylene glycol, a flammable and toxic compound that can cause kidney damage with prolonged exposure.

In January 2022, an explosion at the Westlake Chemical complex in Calcasieu Parish injured six people and led to school lockdowns until the smoke cleared. Federal records indicate that the plant has a history of spills, accidents, and injuries. 

Before Trump took office again, the EPA enforced financial penalties on facilities that violated safety and environmental rules. The agency reached a $1.4 million settlement early last year with Sasol Chemicals over an “alleged accident” in October 2022 that caused a fire burning 8 tons of triethyl aluminum, a catalyst used to produce synthetic materials and jet fuel. 

Trump’s EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, argued the agency is authorized but not mandated to enforce the Clean Air Act, based on a 2007 Supreme Court ruling. 

Zeldin aims to reverse the 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding, which classified greenhouse gases and pollutants as public health risks, granting the agency more regulatory power.

You Might Like