In ‘Cancer Alley,' a Battle Over Who Gets to Measure Air Pollution
Since 2022, residents of St. James Parish, along the heavily industrialized banks of the Mississippi River known as 'Cancer Alley,' have used low-cost monitors to measure air pollution.
But a new law in Louisiana makes it illegal to use that data to push for stricter pollution controls or enforcement.
The law requires people to instead buy expensive air-pollution monitors that meet strict Environmental Protection Agency standards, if they're going to use the data to allege violations of clean air laws. People who don't comply face penalties of thousands of dollars a day.
Now, community groups are fighting the law, saying in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday against Louisiana that it violates their constitutional right to free speech. The law enables polluting industries 'to silence the science,' said Caitlion Hunter, director of research and policy at RISE St. James, which leads the air-monitoring efforts.
The Louisiana law was the first of its kind in the country when it went into effect last year. But Kentucky passed a similar law this year and West Virginia's legislature debated a version in February, though it did not pass.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality declined to comment. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill did not respond to requests for comment.
Community air monitoring proliferated across the country under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which made $81 million in grants available for monitoring projects. That came as part of efforts by Congress to help protect communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods, like St. James Parish, which bear a disproportionate burden of industrial air pollution.
Low-cost monitors have been key to that effort, and have been endorsed, and in some cases even loaned or funded, by publicy funded programs.
St. James Parish used a brand of sensor called PurpleAir, which cost less than $300, to monitor for particulate matter, which are emitted from power plants, construction sites and industrial facilities and can trigger heart attacks and respiratory problems like asthma. The sensors were placed at the homes of people living near chemical facilities, Ms. Hunter said. The region also has some of the highest rates of cancer in the country.
Under the new Louisiana law, the group is no longer allowed to publicly discuss data or file complaints using information from PurpleAir sensors. The group says it would instead have to use government-approved particulate monitors that cost almost $60,000 each, beyond their financial reach.
RISE has been tracking spikes in fine particulate matter pollution. This kind of pollution also known as PM 2.5, is made up of solid particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size, which are small enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled. PM 2.5 is the deadliest form of air pollution, leading to millions of premature deaths each year.
The group had intended to use the data to oppose a plastics plant proposed by Formosa Plastics Group, a Taiwanese plastics manufacturer, Ms. Hunter said. The data showed elevated levels of PM 2.5 in St. James Parish, where several petrochemicals plants already operate.
But using the PurpleAir data this way would likely be prohibited under the new law.
Industry groups that backed the law, known as the Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, say it ensures data integrity.
The Louisiana Chemical Association said the standards didn't stop anyone from tracking pollution levels, as long as the data didn't trigger enforcement or penalties, or form the basis of a lawsuit.
'Air monitoring is a precise science, and decisions based on that data carry serious consequences,' said David Cresson, president and chief executive of the association, which represents Louisiana's petrochemical industries. 'The goal of this law is not to silence community voices, but to ensure that regulatory action is based on high-quality, validated science.'
PurpleAir didn't respond to questions about the law and the accuracy of its product.
The law has sent 'a chilling effect' through community groups, said Joy Banner, co-founder of The Descendants Project, an environmental group that supports people descended from slaves in Louisiana. The group recently paused plans to publicize more data from its air monitors, she said.
'We simply cannot afford $30,000-plus fines,' she said. 'The law has been unfortunately very effective. It's scaring us away from being able to share the data with our community members who need it the most.'
Peter DeCarlo, an air pollution scientist at Johns Hopkins University, said low-cost sensors like PurpleAir played a critical role in helping communities track air pollutants like PM 2.5, as well as other chemical emissions that aren't tracked by regulators.
Even his own pollution data from cutting-edge mobile labs and sensors might be prohibited from public disclosure under the new law, he said.
Community monitors can be particularly important during accidents at nearby industrial plants and other sources, he said. 'While they are not as accurate as regulatory monitors, they are able to provide real-time information to communities in the places they live and breathe,' he said.
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Lilly's oral GLP-1, orforglipron, showed compelling efficacy and a safety profile consistent with injectable GLP-1 medicines, in complete Phase 3 results published in The New England Journal of Medicine
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Full ResultsOrforglipron 3 mg Orforglipron 12 mg Orforglipron 36 mg Placebo Primary Endpoint A1C reduction from baseline of 8.0 %i Efficacy estimand 1.3 % 1.6 % 1.5 % 0.1 % Treatment-regimen estimand4 1.2 % 1.5 % 1.5 % 0.4 % Key Secondary Endpointsii Percent weight reduction from baseline of 90.2 kg (198.9 lbs)i,iii Efficacy estimand 4.7 % 6.1 % 7.9 % 1.6 % Treatment-regimen estimand 4.5 % 5.8 % 7.6 % 1.7 % Weight reduction from baseline of 90.2 kg (198.9 lbs)i,iii Efficacy estimand 4.4 kg (9.7 lbs) 5.5 kg (12.2 lbs) 7.3 kg (16.0 lbs) 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs) Treatment-regimen estimand 4.2 kg (9.3 lbs) 5.2 kg (11.5 lbs) 7.2 kg (15.8 lbs) 1.5 kg (3.4 lbs) Percent of participants achieving A1C <7 %i Efficacy estimand 72.9 % 76.2 % 74.9 % 28.0 % Treatment-regimen estimand 68.1 % 72.9 % 72.7 % 33.0 % Percent of participants achieving A1C ≤6.5 %i,ii Efficacy estimand 61.5 % 62.3 % 66.0 % 13.5 % Treatment-regimen estimand 56.9 % 58.1 % 61.9 % 14.9 % Percent of participants achieving A1C <5.7 %iii Efficacy estimand 17.7 % 25.8 % 23.9 % 3.8 % Treatment-regimen estimand 16.8 % 23.9 % 21.5 % 3.8 % Fasting serum glucose reduction from baseline of 147.5 mg/dLi Efficacy estimand 30.6 mg/dL 37.4 mg/dL 37.8 mg/dL 1.1 mg/dL Treatment-regimen estimand 30.7 mg/dL 36.5 mg/dL 34.7 mg/dL 10.8 mg/dL iSuperiority test was adjusted for from the full list of key secondary endpoints are available in the of participants achieving A1C <5.7% across all orforglipron doses and body weight for orforglipron 3 mg were not controlled for Type 1 error. "This convenient once-daily pill with no restrictions on food and water intake could be an option for millions of people with type 2 diabetes who prefer oral medications over injectables," said Jeff Emmick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president of product development at Lilly. "The positive ACHIEVE-1 results position orforglipron as a potential treatment option with meaningful A1C and weight reduction, and a safety profile similar to injectable GLP-1 therapies. We look forward to the four remaining global readouts from the ACHIEVE program, as well as results of the ATTAIN program in obesity, and working with regulators to bring this once-daily oral GLP-1 to people around the world." The overall safety profile of orforglipron in ACHIEVE-1 was consistent with the established GLP-1 class. The most common adverse events for participants treated with orforglipron (3 mg, 12 mg and 36 mg, respectively) were diarrhea (19%, 21% and 26%) vs. 9% with placebo, nausea (13%, 18% and 16%) vs. 2% with placebo, dyspepsia (11%, 20% and 15%) vs. 7% with placebo, constipation (8%, 17% and 14%) vs. 4% with placebo, and vomiting (5%, 7% and 14%) vs. 1% with placebo. These gastrointestinal-related adverse events were generally mild-to-moderate in severity and occurred primarily during dose escalation. Overall treatment discontinuation rates due to adverse events were 6% (3 mg), 4% (12 mg) and 8% (36 mg) for orforglipron vs. 1% with placebo. No hepatic safety signal was observed. Later this year, Lilly expects to share topline results from ACHIEVE-2, evaluating orforglipron compared with dapagliflozin, and ACHIEVE-3, evaluating orforglipron compared to oral semaglutide, both in adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin. ATTAIN-1 and ATTAIN-2, evaluating orforglipron for weight management, will also be shared in the third quarter of this year. Lilly remains on track to submit orforglipron for weight management to global regulatory agencies by the end of this year and for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in 2026. About orforglipron Orforglipron (or-for-GLIP-ron) is an investigational, once-daily small molecule (non-peptide) oral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that can be taken any time of the day without restrictions on food and water intake.5 Orforglipron was discovered by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and licensed by Lilly in 2018. Chugai and Lilly published the preclinical pharmacology data of this molecule together.6 Lilly is running Phase 3 studies on orforglipron for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related medical problem. It is also being studied as a potential treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension in adults with obesity. About ACHIEVE-1 and the ACHIEVE clinical trial program ACHIEVE-1 (NCT05971940) is a Phase 3, 40-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing the efficacy and safety of orforglipron 3 mg, 12 mg and 36 mg as monotherapy to placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control with diet and exercise alone. The trial randomized 559 participants across the U.S., China, India, Japan and Mexico in 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive either 3 mg, 12 mg or 36 mg orforglipron or placebo. The primary objective of the study was to demonstrate that orforglipron (3 mg, 12 mg, 36 mg) is superior in A1C reduction from baseline after 40 weeks, compared to placebo, in people with type 2 diabetes who have not taken any anti-diabetic medications for at least 90 days prior to visit 1, and are naïve to insulin therapy. Study participants had a HbA1c between ≥7.0% and ≤9.5% and a BMI of ≥23 kg/m2. All participants in the orforglipron treatment arms started the study at a dose of orforglipron 1 mg once-daily and then increased the dose in a step-wise approach at four-week intervals to their final randomized maintenance dose of 3 mg (via a 1 mg step), 12 mg (via steps at 1 mg, 3 mg and 6 mg) or 36 mg (via steps at 1 mg, 3 mg, 6 mg, 12 mg and 24 mg). Flexible dosing was not permitted. The ACHIEVE Phase 3 global clinical development program for orforglipron has enrolled more than 6,000 people with type 2 diabetes across five global registration trials. The program began in 2023 with results anticipated later this year and into 2026. About LillyLilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit and or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. P-LLY The efficacy estimand represents the treatment effect had on all participants who adhered to the study drug (with possible dose interruptions) for 40 weeks without initiating additional antihyperglycemic medications (>14 days of use). American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2020 Abridged for Primary Care Providers. Clinical Diabetes 2020; 38(1):10–38. Percent of participants achieving A1C <5.7% across all doses was not controlled for Type 1 error. The treatment-regimen estimand represents the estimated average treatment effect regardless of treatment discontinuation or initiation of additional antihyperglycemic medications. Ma X, Liu R, Pratt EJ, Benson CT, Bhattachar SN, Sloop KW. Effect of Food Consumption on the Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of Once-Daily Orally Administered Orforglipron (LY3502970), a Non-peptide GLP-1 Receptor Agonist. Diabetes Ther. 2024 Apr;15(4):819-832. Epub 2024 Feb 24. PMID: 38402332; PMCID: PMC10951152. T. Kawai, B. 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Among other things, there is no guarantee that planned or ongoing studies will be completed as planned, that future study results will be consistent with study results to date, that orforglipron will prove to be a safe and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, that orforglipron will receive regulatory approval, or that Lilly will execute its strategy as expected. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from Lilly's expectations, see Lilly's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release. Trademarks and Trade Names All trademarks or trade names referred to in this press release are the property of the company, or, to the extent trademarks or trade names belonging to other companies are referenced in this press release, the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this press release are referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that the company or, to the extent applicable, their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, the company's or their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. Refer to: Brooke Frost; 317-432-9145 (Media)Michael Czapar; czapar_michael_c@ 317-617-0983 (Investors) View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
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