Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Lindsay Mader, lindsay.mader@sierraclub.org
Donaldsonville, LA - Hyundai Steel is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony today for its proposed steel facility in Donaldsonville, neglecting the fact the company is still lacking an approved air permit and amidst serious questions about the facility’s location in Cancer Alley, pollution levels, local water supply impacts, and jobs.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) held a hearing this week where residents voiced strong concerns about the facility. Experts and advocates are working to submit written comments to LDEQ before the end of the too-brief public comment period on September 15th. Sierra Club’s comments will highlight the flaws and omissions in Hyundai Steel’s application and LDEQ’s proposed permit and call for a full analysis of the facility’s environmental justice impacts and pollution reduction measures before the facility can move forward.
In reaction, Sierra Club Industrial Transformation Campaign Director Matthew Miles Goodrich released the following statement:
“Hyundai Steel is breaking ground on this new facility when the current design and proposed permit pose so much risk to surrounding residents. Sierra Club has been highlighting this glaring gap between corporate promises and reality for months. LDEQ must now step in to fulfill its mandate to ensure that industry does not continue to take advantage of the residents in Cancer Alley, and require Hyundai to pause until the company has conducted a full environmental justice analysis, including an evaluation of alternative sites.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.