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MATTER OF FACT. IDENTICAL TWIN SISTERS, JOE AND JOY BANNER LIVE IN A REGION OF LOUISIANA BETWEEN BATON ROUGE AND NEW ORLEANS THAT’S KNOWN AS CANCER ALLEY. RESIDENTS HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK THAN THE AVERAGE AMERICAN OF DEVELOPING CANCERS FROM AIR TOXINS. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. THE AREA IS HOME TO MORE THAN 150 OIL AND GAS AND OTHER CHEMICAL FACTORIES. THE BANNER FAMILY HAS BEEN THERE FOR GENERATIONS, BUT JOE AND JOY WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HERITAGE AND THEIR HEALTH, CAME UP WITH A CREATIVE STRATEGY. OUR CORRESPONDENT, ALEXIS CLARK TRAVELED TO LOUISIANA TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE DESCENDANTS PROJECT. WOODLAND WILL BE IN A MUSEUM EXHIBIT SPACE. JOE BANNER TAKES ME ON A TOUR OF WOODLAND, ONE OF TWO PLANTATIONS PURCHASED BY THE DESCENDANTS PROJECT, A NONPROFIT SHE AND HER SISTER STARTED IN 1811. THE LARGEST UPRISING OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE STARTED HERE. THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS CAME THROUGH THIS DOOR, INTO THIS ROOM AND ENCOUNTERED THE PLANTATION OWNER’S SON. AND ESSENTIALLY, IT’S WHERE THIS WHOLE FIGHT CULMINATED, THIS VERY DOOR. THIS VERY DOOR. WOW, WOW. THERE’S A LOT OF HISTORY IN THIS ROOM. THE BANNER SISTERS HAVE BACKGROUNDS IN HERITAGE TOURISM AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION. THEY ARE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO OWN WOODLAND PLANTATION. IT WENT UP FOR SALE, AND WE DECIDED THAT WE HAD TO PROTECT THIS HOME. WE HAD TO PROTECT THIS HISTORY. MOST BLACK PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO PLANTATIONS. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE FOR ALL PEOPLE, BUT PARTICULARLY BLACK PEOPLE, TO COME AND DEAL WITH THE FACT MY FAMILY DESCENDS FROM HERE. I CAN ALSO CRY AT THE FACT THAT THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED FOR US IN AMERICA, THE BANNER FAMILY LIVES LESS THAN 20 MILES FROM WOODLAND IN THE HAMLET OF WALLACE. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN ON THIS THIS ROAD FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ON THIS ROAD IS THE OTHER PLANTATION. THE DESCENDANTS PROJECT PURCHASED. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE DESCENDANTS PROJECT. THEY RELOCATED THE HISTORIC HOUSE HERE AFTER DISCOVERING THEY HAD AN ANCESTRAL CONNECTION TO THE PROPERTY. LAND IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY BLACK FAMILIES. WE ARE ROOTED HERE AND WE’RE FIGHTING TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR HERITAGE. CULTURAL PRESERVATION ISN’T THE ONLY REASON THEY’RE BUYING PLANTATIONS. THE BANNERS WANT TO STOP INDUSTRIES FROM OPERATING ON THEIR DOORSTEP. ANYTHING CAN SET UP SHOP NEXT TO US. THE BOMB FACTORY, CHEMICAL PLANT. I READ SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CALLED THIS DEFENSE BUYING. WE NEED TO DEFEND THESE SPACES AND OUR HISTORY SPACES. LOCATED IN CANCER ALLEY, AN 85 MILE STRETCH THAT IS HOME TO MORE THAN 150 CHEMICAL FACTORIES. DEEP BREATHS, DOCTOR PIA CHOWDRY IS AN ONCOLOGIST AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER. THERE’S A LARGE BODY OF EVIDENCE AND DATA TO SUPPORT THAT EXPOSURE TO THESE CHEMICALS RELEASED FROM THESE PLANTS AT SUCH HIGH LEVELS IS LINKED TO NOT ONLY CANCER, BUT RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES, FETAL ABNORMALITIES, OTHER AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES. IS IT FRUSTRATING FOR YOU AS A PHYSICIAN? INCREDIBLY, A LOT OF OUR FOCUS IS HOW TO CURE CANCER AND HOW TO TREAT CANCER. I DON’T THINK WE DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB IN HOW TO PREVENT CANCER. WHEN THE SISTERS HEARD A GRAIN EXPORT COMPANY PLAN TO BUILD A LARGE FACILITY NEAR HOLMES AND WALLACE, THEY RETAINED COUNSEL WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CLINIC AT TULANE UNIVERSITY. LISA JORDAN IS THE DIRECTOR. OUR COMPLAINT WAS ALLEGING THAT THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY’S ENTIRE METHOD OF PERMITTING FOR AIR POLLUTION IS DISCRIMINATORY BECAUSE IT LEADS TO A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF POLLUTION ON BLACK COMMUNITIES. IN CANCER ALLEY. THAT’S WHAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT PROTECTS. AND THAT’S THAT WAS OUR POSITION, AND THAT WAS THE EPA’S POSITION. BUT THAT WAS NOT THE JUDGE’S RULING. JORDAN BELIEVES AIR POLLUTION TESTS IN LOUISIANA ARE NOT WIDE RANGING ENOUGH. THE TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT ARE LINKED TO CANCER, THERE’S NOT ANY MANDATORY MEASURING OR TESTING FROM THE EPA OF THOSE PARTICULAR CHEMICALS. NO, THERE’S NOT. THE EPA FOCUSES ON THESE SIX POLLUTANTS THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED AS THE ONES THAT ARE VERY COMMONLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, KNOWN TO PRESENT HEALTH EFFECTS. BUT OF COURSE, WE HAVE COMMUNITIES HERE IN LOUISIANA THAT ARE EXPOSED TO TOXIC POLLUTANTS THAT DON’T FALL UNDER THIS EPA PROGRAM. THE COMPANY DECIDED TO WITHDRAW ITS PLANS FOR ITS GRAIN FACILITY IN WALLACE, BUT ATTORNEY JORDAN STILL THINKS LOCAL OFFICIALS AREN’T SUFFICIENTLY PROTECTING RESIDENTS. THE LOCAL POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH GUARANTEES PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO THE NATURAL RESOURCES, CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE DONE? STOP PERMITTING NEW INDUSTRY FROM COMING INTO THE AREA. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A COCKTAIL OF PAIN MEDS IN ORDER TO RELIEVE THEIR PAIN. WHAT’S TO STOP ANOTHER COMPANY? NOTHING, EXCEPT FOR US PUSHING BACK. WE HOPE COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IF THE GOVERNMENT IS IN THEIR FAVOR, WE WILL NEVER ST