BATON ROUGE - A new study released by Johns Hopkins University on Monday revealed data on the cancer risk in industrial areas stretching from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, referred to by some as "Cancer Alley."

"American citizens right here, right now are being exposed to cancer-causing pollutants in 2025, right here, right now in Louisiana, and something needs to be done," Shamyra Lavigne-Davey said.

Researchers measured 17 hazardous air pollutants and identified an estimated cancer risk in 15 census tracts along a 50-mile stretch. 14 of those tracts had a cancer risk higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's 2020 assessment.

"I'm happy it's being exposed for what's actually happening," Shamyra Lavigne-Davey said.

Shamyra Lavigne-Davey is the executive assistant of Rise St. James, an organization that fights for environmental justice. She says she is not surprised by the report.

"This puts science attached to it to the people who only want to believe science and not our stories," Lavigne-Davey said.

The study shows that chemical ethylene oxide is the largest contributor to the total cancer risk.

"There is an opportunity really for the state to look at this and say, what can we do to continue making sure that we're not harming our own citizens in Louisiana," Bria Calvin said.

Bria Calvin, project manager with the Louisiana Environmental Defense Fund, says this data allows them to see where else they can step in to continue to highlight what's going on in Cancer Alley.

"What I think inspires us here is where else can we step in to continue to highlight where there are some gaps, you know, whether it's actually in the data, the research, overall," Calvin said.

The Louisiana Chemical Association shared a statement in response to the study. 

“We at the Louisiana Chemical Association share the goal of protecting the health of our communities and the thousands of individuals who work daily in our industrial facilities. We welcome research that strengthens environmental protection and is based on sound science. This study is based on one month of mobile measurements collected in February 2023 and compares those short-term snapshots to EPA’s AirToxScreen, which estimates annual concentrations from emissions inventories. Those are different tools that answer different questions. Short-term roadside measurements can capture peaks that are not representative of year-round community exposure. AirToxScreen is a screening model that uses quality-assured inventories and meteorology to estimate annual averages.

Many of the pollutants emphasized in the release have multiple sources, such as vehicles, small businesses, gas stations, and natural processes. Without source apportionment, it is not scientifically sound to assign total risk to any single sector. The claim that inventories are simply “self-reported” overlooks stack testing, continuous monitoring for pollutants, and regulatory verification that underpin federal and state emissions reporting.

In addition, the levels of “unacceptable risk” claimed in this paper are not mirrored in the health data throughout these parishes. We consistently see that within the industrial corridor, cancer incidence rates are at or below the Louisiana state average.

Our commitment is to facts, not headlines. We will continue to work with EPA, LDEQ, researchers, and our member companies to compare air measurements with emissions inventories and provide transparent reporting.”

-David Cresson, President & CEO of LCA/LCIA

The EPA says they could not comment on studies done outside the agency. 

We reached out to LDEQ for comment on the study, but have not received a response yet.