Analyze

Facing a pivotal federal investigation into Louisiana’s relationship with petro-chemical companies, the state’s attorney general hired lawyers who were simultaneously representing one of the main corporations at the center of the investigation, documents reveal.

The revelations, contained in documents released under public records requests, have led to allegations of a major conflict of interest and come just weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] dropped its civil rights investigation.

Internal emails, contracts and payments, show that the office of the attorney general, Jeff Landry, hired two lawyers to enter closed-door negotiations with the EPA during the 14-month civil rights investigation. But John King and Tim Hardy were also representing the Taiwanese chemicals firm Formosa in separate litigation, challenging a decision to revoke the company’s state air permits. (Moran and Sneath 2023).

In the 1980s, Formosa Plastics Corporation purchased financially struggling petrochemical plants in Delaware, Texas, and Louisiana. The company subsequently shifted its operations to Texas and Louisiana, where a competitive bidding process ensued between the two states, both of which were known for industry-friendly policies (Tubilewicz 2021). As political scientist Tubilewicz (2021, 16) has argued, the politics surrounding Formosa's investments in these states were not purely motivated by profit but were also shaped by the ongoing struggles of sub-state actors such as politicians and NGOs over issues of internationalization and representation in global affairs.

An example of this can be seen in Formosa's attempt to build a rayon fiber plant in Louisiana's St. John Parish in the late 1990s, an area also known as "Cancer Alley." Protests broke out due to concerns about massive tax exemptions, displacement of Black residents, and the plant's location on the historic Whitney Plantation (Tubilewicz 2021, 11). However, the project was eventually abandoned due to declining market demand and delays. In addition, the local St. John Governor was indicted for illegal industrial rezoning of land around the plantation and receiving $200,000 in real estate commission (Tubilewicz 2021, 11).

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Not effective: reporting irregular activities via app (Ms Hsu only did it once)

Regulation of air pollution

Rural renewal and investement programs

Monitoring

Local action (link1) (link2) (link3)

Law for Taisi villagers to get compensation (but lack of strategy for bureaucrats)

Media coverage of the exhibition "Where the South Wind Blows"

Interview by PTS- Our Island (link1) (link2)、THE REPORTER (link1) (link2)

2012: PTS  photographer 鍾聖雄came to document village in the shadow the factory

Smelling the pollution 

Government initiated monitoring infrastructure not from the very beginning but only after the explosions

Ms Hsu’s family is respected, leading the talks between villagers and company  

Support by Mayor Ko

Asked the local councilors to take action (2002)

Protests

Photo collection, press conference, organized villagers to go to Taipei (they were more excited about the high speed rail?); visit and signature by the Vice president Chen 陳建仁

Ask the EPA to set up monitor (moving) 

“Number” system for reporting explosion/illegal emission

Witness Theatre

Exhibition in national museums 

Protest against the No. 8, especially after two  2010 explosions 

2005: Prof. Chang swimming naked; publishing 

Formosa Plastics: released two press releases after the exhibition, arguing that 1) people live long and 2) blaming individual behaviors (smoking? Drinking? betel nut?)

2010: Formosa starts investing in Mailiao 

2020: investigation into the reg

No action by locals before the proposed No. 8 complex

Old Villagers (farmers, 100/280+ more than 80 years old.

Department of Hygiene

Young population moving to the city, and thinking about compensation

Formosa Plastics: You see the light, you see the money

Changhua Environmental Protection Union (彰化環保聯盟): learning about Formosa pollution issues after  a tour of the No. 5 complex

Social pressure by the village (Miss Li-Yi  Hsu 許立儀)

Dam construction and water usage by 6th NCC; taking away water used for agriculture