"The EPA allows polluters to turn neighborhoods into “sacrifice zones” where residents breathe carcinogens. ProPublica reveals where these places are in a first-of-its-kind map and data analysis."

"From the urban sprawl of Houston to the riverways of Virginia, air pollution from industrial plants is elevating the cancer risk of an estimated quarter of a million Americans to a level the federal government considers unacceptable.

Some of these hot spots of toxic air are infamous. An 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River in Louisiana that’s thronged with oil refineries and chemical plants has earned the nickname Cancer Alley. Many other such areas remain unknown, even to residents breathing in the contaminated air.

Until now."

Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman, Al Shaw, and Lisa Song report for ProPublica November 2, 2021, with additional reporting by Maya Miller and photography by Kathleen Flynn. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S." (ProPublica) [3]

"How We Created the Most Detailed Map Ever of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution" (ProPublica) [4]