LCA member companies care about how we achieve our results. We are committed to excellence in safety, health, security and environmental performance, and to earning our "license to operate." Here are a few facts about how LCA member companies conduct their business.

The chemical industry is safe . . . especially compared to other business sectors
Nationally, chemical companies average four injuries and illnesses a year for every 100 full-time workers. That's lower than the auto and home supply business at 6.4, agriculture, fishing and forestry at 7.3 and hospitals at 8.8. Louisiana is even better. In Louisiana, chemical companies average 2.1 injuries and illnesses a year for every 100 full-time workers. That's lower than transportation and public utilities with an injury and illness rate of 4.2, retail trade at 5.2 and the service industry at 4.4. And we are committed to continuous improvement in these matters.

Leading the way as role models, LCA sponsors the Serious About Fostering Excellence (SAFE) Awards each year to showcase and promote chemical plants with outstanding safety, health and environmental performance. This awards program captures best practices that other chemical companies can emulate.

Security at chemical plants must be improved …and it has!
We recognize our responsibility to help protect ourselves. Since 9/11, actions we’ve taken to bolster our security range from the heightened awareness of our own employees to the implementation of sophisticated technologies designed to detect and deter any threats to our plant operations, people, products, or property. Chemical plants have also established valuable relationships with other state and federal authorities to improve mutual understanding and awareness and to foster more rapid communications between government authorities and industry.

These initiatives, and many other security upgrades, are in place because we recognize and accept our responsibilities regarding the safe and secure operation of our businesses. The essential benefit of these initiatives is improved chemical plant security.
Security depends on industry and government partnerships. This means we and all other key assets need to stay connected to homeland defense, public safety and security organizations so that timely, accurate and specific information can be shared and acted upon (if necessary) between the public and private sectors. Especially since 9/11.

Chemical companies have a proven track record of reducing emissions
Since 1988, LCA members have reduced air, land and water releases of Toxic Releases Inventory (TRI) chemicals by 89.6 percent or 612.1 million pounds. Air releases decreased 85.5 million pounds or 76.6 percent. Water releases decreased 152.1 million pounds or 90 percent, and on-site land disposal, including underground injection, decreased 374.5 million pounds or 90.7 percent. That's a total of 612.1 million pounds, or an overall decrease of nearly 90 percent.

Seek reasonable and consistent environmental rules and policies
It is essential that state environmental laws and regulations be fair, reasonable and consistent with corresponding federal requirements. Since Louisiana manufacturers must compete internationally as well as with facilities in other states, they must not be unfairly penalized by arbitrary or more stringent regulations than required by the federal government.

Environmental compliance is preferred over monetary penalties
The state should encourage compliance rather than imposing stiff monetary penalties when enforcing environmental requirements. Louisiana should encourage use of beneficial environmental projects in lieu of monetary penalties when violations occur so that the state and its citizens will achieve a greater environmental benefit.

There is no Cancer Alley

According to LSU, cancer incidence rates (incidence deals with getting cancer) in Louisiana vary considerably by cancer site (location of the cancer in the body) and by race and gender when compared with national rates. For three out of four groups – white females, black females, and black males—cancer incidence rates in Mississippi River parishes are lower than in the U.S. as a whole. In only one race and gender category, white men who live in this area, the incidence rate for all sites combined is higher than for white males nationwide.