Louisiana is the fifth-most toxic state in America, releasing nearly as many toxins into the air as its much larger neighbor Texas, according to a Forbes report of the most toxic places in the U.S.
And, at the local level, Ascension Parish is the 16th-most toxic county or parish in the country, outpacing the parishes of St. Charles, Calcasieu, Ouachita, Jefferson and East Baton Rouge, all of which landed in the top 50. EBR produces the 50th-most toxins out of any county or parish in the country.
In its report, Forbes analyzed last year’s data from the Environmental Protection Agency, which requires most large industrial facilities to report the volume of toxic chemicals they release into the environment. Forbes partnered with Ode, a company that creates environmentally conscious cleaning products, to analyze the data.
Alaska produced the most toxins of any state, at 834 million pounds, according to the report. Louisiana produced 147 million pounds of toxins, which trails Texas, Utah and Nevada.
Luling, located in St. Charles Parish, produced the most toxins of any city in Louisiana. Geismar, Sterlington, Westwego, Sulphur and Donaldsonville also placed in the top 50.
