LAPLACE — Through alternating requests Thursday night, St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members were asked to shut down Denka Performance Elastomer’s LaPlace plant, move students out of the parish for future schooling and host a public meeting for parents and environmental safety advocates to discuss potentially dangerous chloroprene emissions.

The broad range of requests were part of a 45-minute discussion held at the end of the Board’s meeting that included impassioned pleas from Concerned Citizens of St. John members.

Concerned Citizens has long maintained that chloroprene emissions produced at Denka’s plant through the production of polychloroprene synthetic rubber Neoprene causes cancer and other health maladies at some of the worst levels in the United States.

Health leaders from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health have said Denka is operating within federal guidelines, adding Louisiana Tumor Registry statistics show nothing out of the ordinary in St. John the Baptist Parish concerning cancer rates.

Concerned Citizens members stressed this week those facts are incorrect and the region’s children are some of the most vulnerable.

“The priority is the health of those children,” Sylvia Taylor Dunn said. “The studies are over with. There is a danger to these children. It’s time to do something. We’re not worried about legal strategy. That is not a priority. We are worried about exposing children to these elements. Something needs to be done and that is your job.”

John Cummings told School Board members when a health risk for local students is identified, it’s their responsibility to figure out what do with the children, adding “how about shutting down the damn plant, then the kids would be OK.”

Without adopting an official response to Thursday’s concerns, School Board members suggested they could sign a resolution calling for greater response from the state and host a public meeting for parents and members of Concerned Citizens.

Cummings said he would like the Board to advise all parents of the health concerns presented to them this week and facilitate the forum.

“Then, we’ll have people come, respected people, and in short sleeve English explain what it is,” Cummings said. “We will ask the Department of Health if the Department of Health will require a medical monitoring program where they will provide the ability to anyone who is concerned to come in and give a blood and urine sample to see if the chloroprene is in their bodies.

“We will cooperate and bring all of the details. We can prove everything you read here.”

When asked why Concerned Citizens hasn’t filed action against Denka to force them to shut down and compensate residents exposed to these harsh emissions, Cummings said worry of dismissal remains.

“The one thing you can never do is have your suit dismissed,” he said. “You have to have your facts and they have to be in such a way that your case will not be dismissed. We’re trying to get medical monitoring for life.”

On Jan. 6, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Denka Performance Elastomer signed a formal document outlining the company’s voluntary commitment to reduce emissions of chloroprene.

Under the Administrative Order on Consent, emissions reductions devices will be installed on a set schedule, culminating with the installation of the Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer by the end of the fourth quarter of this year.

At the time, state regulators, company officials and elected parish leaders hailed the agreement as an “important milestone” in reducing emissions.

Concerned Citizens members stressed again this week cancer-causing gasses continue to be emitted into the local community at unacceptable levels.