Residents in the Modeste area of Ascension Parish are raising alarm that Hyundai Steel’s planned $5.8 billion mill could erase generations of local history, igniting a clash between economic development and cultural preservation, the USA Today Network writes.
In a Dec. 19 letter to Hyundai Steel Louisiana President Charles Jang, attorneys representing the environmental justice nonprofit Rural Roots Louisiana urged the company to confirm that historic and cultural sites in Modeste will not be disturbed.
Community leaders say families have lived in the area since the 1800s and fear the massive project, part of the RiverPlex MegaPark, could permanently alter a place that has already borne the brunt of industrial expansion.
The Hyundai mill is one of several major investments planned for the corridor, including CF Industries’ $4 billion ammonia complex and Linde’s $400 million air separation facility, underscoring how quickly the region is being reshaped.
Younger workers
