People of color are underrepresented in jobs at oil refineries and chemical plants across the country, according to a new , with some of the most extreme disparities in Louisiana.
Differences in education do not explain these outcomes, the study found. The researchers at Tulane Law School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered that when people of color are employed in petrochemical jobs, they are mostly working in the “lowest of the low-paying” positions.
The authors of the study, which was published in the journal Ecological Economics on Wednesday, say the research raises questions about the economic justifications of these sectors in local areas.
“We always think of pollution versus jobs tradeoff,” said Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. “It’s not really a tradeoff when the people who are being impacted aren’t getting any of the benefits and are getting all of the cost.”
Industry and economic development groups stressed their investment in supporting Louisiana workers. A representative for Louisiana Economic Development, the state’s business agency, said that “providing opportunity for every community in our state is not only our agency’s focus, but our commitment.”
The Louisiana Chemical Association, which represents dozens of manufacturing companies in the state, stressed that the sector is invested in workforce and educational development. David Cresson, the CEO of the industry group, pointed to STEM programs for students beginning in elementary school as well as partnerships with Southern University and River Parishes Community College.
“We recognize the importance of examining equity in employment, however, this study offers an incomplete and misleading portrayal of our industry and its contributions,” said Cresson.
Other industry and business associations declined to comment.
What did the study say about Louisiana?
The study used publicly available federal data to examine the racial demographics for chemical manufacturing and petroleum and coal manufacturing across states, metro areas and Louisiana parishes. In this way, Terrell said, the authors “sliced the data every way possible.”
While previous research has shown that people of color in the U.S. are disproportionately exposed to toxic pollutants, there is much less research on employment equity in these sectors.
Louisiana had some of the starkest disparities among the handful of states with most of the high-paying chemical manufacturing jobs. Texas and Illinois were among the other states with the most extreme disparities, the study says.
"We focused on [Louisiana] because it stood out in our main analysis, but also due to its relatively large number of petrochemical jobs, extreme racial inequities, and internationally-recognized environmental justice issues," the study says.
While over 40% of working-age Louisianans are people of color, only 18.5% of the highest paid workers in the sector were people of color. This trend persisted when looking at Louisiana cities and parishes individually.
“People of color had about half their expected share of highest/higher-paying jobs and about three quarters their expected share of lower-paying jobs, but more than their expected share of the lowest-paying jobs,” the study says.
Sharon Lavigne holds pictures of neighborhood activists who died in her area. She and others cite studies saying pollution is contributing to health problems between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but industry groups dispute those findings. She was photographed on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)
For many environmental advocates in the industrial corridor of Louisiana — often dubbed “Cancer Alley” by activists and some residents due to health risks — the findings were affirming, though not surprising. Sharon Lavigne, founder of the organization Rise St. James, argued that job promises made in connection with petrochemical development often don’t pan out.
“With much more industry in the area than in the past, there are fewer jobs in general but especially for people of color,” Lavigne said.
Kimbrelle Eugene Kyereh, who's fighting against a planned blue ammonia plant in her St. Rose neighborhood in St. Charles Parish, said the study confirmed what she already assumed about heavy industry — "that the harm far outweighs the economic gains that are promised to the Black communities."
"This isn't about a lack of qualifications with chemical facilities operating in our backyards," she said. "It's about the persistence of a system that was never designed for African Americans to truly thrive."
‘Opportunity to discriminate’
The study singles out St. John as having the most extreme disparities identified in the paper. Around 70% of people in St. John are not White, yet people of color only hold 17% of the highest-paying chemical manufacturing jobs, it determined.
There are more people of color in the lower-paid jobs, but still only 50% of the lowest-paying chemical jobs in St. John are held by non-White people.
Joy Banner, right, who founded The Descendants Project with her sister, Jo Banner, left, speaks during a community archaeology event on Alexis Court in Vacherie, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Staff photo by Scott Threlkeld, The Times-Picayune)
St. John illustrates other national trends identified in the paper, including gaps in education failing to explain economic outcomes. In the parish, there is a less than 2% difference in college education between people of color and White people.
‘Everyone should have access’
The study concludes that investment in education and training “is insufficient without attention to job access.” Over the last few years, programs on both fronts have cropped up in the state’s industrial corridor.
Cresson of the Louisiana Chemical Association said that “everyone should have access" to high-paying employment in the state's industrial manufacturing sector. He pointed to Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program for workforce development and talent attraction, among other initiatives.
“We are committed to closing the training gap in Louisiana by investing in early education, STEM training, and technical scholarships to ensure that all members of our communities are represented among our industrial workforce,” he said.
Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment talks about early childhood education during a ceremony of the opening of a recently restored historic building on Thursday, October 6, 2022 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. The restored building will be used as an early learning center for children along with apartments.
Local leaders in Ascension Parish have also collaborated on programs to prepare residents to capitalize on incoming industry jobs. The parish two major lower carbon, multibillion-dollar facilities for their west bank industrial complex just upriver of Donaldsonville.
Some of these efforts include early childhood programs and a new workforce training facility at Donaldsonville High School, serving not only students but also adults in the evenings. It is part of an effort by River Parishes Community College to bring services to a majority Black community with poverty rates over 40%, an aging and shrinking population, and many residents without adequate transportation.
Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said the programs are designed to give Donaldsonville-area residents a path to the $100,000-per-year jobs these future facilities are expected to provide.
“This is something that is not only good for Ascension Parish, but it’s good for the region, surrounding parishes, including the state as a whole,” Cointment said.
Staff writer David Mitchell contributed reporting.
