Sierra Club: LDEQ Must Conduct Full Environmental Justice Analysis of Hyundai Steel Facility

Donaldsonville, La.- Sierra Club and its Delta Chapter called on the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to conduct a project-specific environmental justice analysis of Hyundai Steel's proposed facility in Louisiana. The request comes after the company largely removed an initial environmental justice analysis from its revised permit application.

In the face of public pressure from Sierra Club, Sierra Club's Delta Chapter, and other local groups, Hyundai Steel has made revisions to its LDEQ air permit application that will significantly reduce emissions from its original plans, which failed to consider more efficient options.

Despite these improvements, there are still glaring flaws and inconsistencies in the company's air permit application, including the company's failure to establish safeguards on toxic dust from transportation and construction and failure to consider additional emissions reductions strategies including the use of green hydrogen.

Sierra Club's comments on the inadequacy of Hyundai's environmental justice analysis detail the steps LDEQ should take to evaluate and mitigate environmental justice concerns posed by Hyundai Steel's proposed facility. According to Sierra Club, LDEQ must:

1. First assess the additional adverse impacts imposed by the Hyundai project.
2. Assess existing environmental and health burdens in the surrounding communities.
3. Separately consider reasonably foreseeable planned projects near the Hyundai site.
4. Require feasible mitigation and the strictest emission limits needed to avoid or minimize harm.

In response, Sierra Club Attorney Rebecca McCreary released the following statement:

"Hyundai Steel's decision to remove its environmental justice analysis from the permit application leaves critical questions unanswered rather than resolved. LDEQ has both the authority and legal responsibility to fully evaluate how this project would affect nearby communities that are already burdened by industrial pollution. Before moving forward, the agency must conduct a thorough environmental justice review and require all feasible measures to minimize harm and protect public health."

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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.