Cancer Alley and infant mortality : is there a correlation?
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This report explores issues surrounding health concerns in the State of Louisiana in the context of environmental justice. It provides a history of Cancer Alley, an area along the Mississippi River with disproportionately high cancer rates. It discusses case studies of environmental justice issues within the state. The researcher provides a geographical analysis and statistical analysis to estimate whether there is a relationship between the presence of industrial plants and health indicators, specifically cancer and infant mortality. Using cancer and infant mortality as health indicators for a population, the evidence supports a correlation between the presence of industrial pollution and waste with cancer rates and infant mortality rates across the State of Louisiana. Given that these populations are predominantly minority and low-income, these results reflect an environmental injustice.