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Louisiana Chemistry Association unveils data site and disputes 'Cancer Alley' characterizations
Summary
David Crescent of the Louisiana Chemistry Association introduced a new website compiling public health and economic data for industrial parishes and told the Ascension Parish Council the site's analysis shows better health outcomes in the industrial corridor than outside it; council leaders urged residents to check the sources.
David Crescent of the Louisiana Chemistry Association told the Ascension Parish Council on March 19 that the group has rebranded and launched a website that compiles public health and economic data for Louisiana’s industrial parishes. Crescent said the LCA compiled data from the tumor registry, County Health Rankings, the U.S. Census, the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and concluded the corridor long tagged "Cancer Alley" shows, by several measures, better health outcomes than parishes outside the corridor.
“Cancer Alley is a lie,” Crescent said, urging council members to use the LCA website to counter social-media posts he described as misleading. He cited the association’s analysis that overall cancer incidence in the industrial corridor is about 5.5% lower than in parishes outside the corridor, lung cancer incidence is about 20% lower, and cancer mortality is roughly 7.3% lower. Crescent repeatedly said the LCA did not perform a new academic study but compiled public data into a single, searchable site for policymakers and residents.
Parish President praised the availability of county-level data and urged residents and officials to rely on documented sources when they encounter social‑media claims. “The statistics don’t lie,” the parish president said, and asked the council to direct constituents to the site when responding to online assertions.
Crescent also noted partner materials from the Pelican Institute and criticized national funders he said promote the "Cancer Alley" label; he encouraged the council to review the Pelican Institute report and the LCA site. Crescent said members of industry provide significant local employment and tax revenues and framed the new site as a tool to contextualize health and economic measures.
The council did not take a formal position on the LCA site during the meeting. Crescent identified the public sources his group used but did not present peer‑reviewed causal analysis tying industrial activity to health outcomes during this presentation. The LCA materials and the Pelican Institute report were described as resources for local officials to consult; the council requested no formal follow-up or staff analysis during the meeting.
The LCA site and the reports Crescent referenced were made available to the council; Crescent offered to answer questions and provided the site for members of the public to review.
