A Louisiana family is taking their fight for environmental justice from the industrial corridor known as “Cancer Alley” to boardrooms and public stages across the country, urging banks and fossil fuel companies to end investments in projects they say are poisoning their community.
Roishetta Ozane and her daughter Kamea live at the mouth of Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River with one of the highest concentrations of petrochemical facilities in the United States. According to the family, the region’s industrial activity has filled the air and water with toxic pollutants, contributing to elevated rates of chronic illnesses among residents.
Speaking recently on Democracy Now!, Kamea described the daily reality outside her home: visible industrial flames, pungent odors, and air so polluted that children are discouraged from playing outdoors. She linked these conditions to serious health issues in her family and neighbors, including cancer, asthma, eczema, and even epilepsy.
Ozane, who is traveling with her children on a national advocacy tour, emphasized that the community is not a “sacrifice zone” for industrial profit.
She said her family’s goal is to press corporate leaders and financial institutions to shift investments away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, small businesses, public schools, and green spaces.
Their campaign highlights broader legal and policy debates over environmental justice, corporate accountability, and the role of financial institutions in funding projects that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income residents.
Environmental law advocates say cases like those emerging from Cancer Alley could influence future litigation and regulatory reforms at the state and federal levels.
