The debate over how much environmental protection a state should provide for its citizens usually devolves into this choice: business success vs public health. Businesses fight against tighter environmental laws because they could hurt their profits while also warning those costs will hurt the state’s attractiveness to other businesses.
I say the debate “devolves” to that question because it’s a false choice. It’s like a debate over how many cigarettes it’s safe to smoke. Or how many times you can play Russian roulette without losing.
There is only one correct answer, and not just because the wrong one can kill you. It’s also because history shows the correct answer — environmental protection should always be the priority — is also the best choice for long-term business success.
Louisiana is currently going through another cycle of this debate, with business interests pushing for permitting more polluting industries and against critically-needed reductions in the use and production of fossil fuels.
All of which leads me to this nugget from U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 ranking of “Best States” for quality of life: Louisiana ranks last.
And we were last in 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 — which is as long as the magazine currently lists those rankings on its web page.
It says the rankings are based on measuring 70 metrics across eight categories: health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections and natural environment.
It is no coincidence that US News & World Report research also found Louisiana leads the nation in the highest amount of industrial toxins in its air, water and ground, as well as exposing its residents to the highest health risk from pollution.
Now, in case you’re wondering, neither liberal nor conservative states dominate the upper ranks. They are almost evenly divided between red, blue and purple states, as well as heartland and the coasts, and include several fossil fuel states. And almost all these states enjoy reputations for solid economies as well as healthy environments.
So imagine you’re the CEO of a growing company searching for a location to place a major expansion. Louisiana comes to mind because of its vast and intricate port system based on the Mississippi River’s gateway to the world. You can ship your products in bulk for much less if you have easy access to that system. And you’ve heard so much about the interesting and enjoyable culture, the friendly people — and the friendly government.
But then you think about competing with other industries for the best and brightest employees. So you also begin looking at those USNWR rankings, and others. You look at Louisiana’s scores at or near the bottom in literacy, education, poverty, general health, infant mortality, total pollution, life expectancy, crime and incarceration.
So then you start looking elsewhere.
Unless you’re in a pollution-heavy industry. Then you look at the state’s history of giving huge tax exemptions for polluters — especially foreign-owned companies — and asking very little in return in terms of permanent employment. You smile at the history of state legislators and its congressional delegation fighting against tightening of pollution regulations and joining former President Donald Trump in his assault on climate regulations.
And as a polluter, you know you’ve found a happy home. Because history also tells you that anytime the state tries to get serious about choosing environmental health over your profits, you can threaten to leave, and the state's elected officials will come around — and keep getting reelected, anyway.
You know winning this game will help keep Louisiana wearing that dunce cap awarded to the state for lowest quality of life because your tax breaks are robbing budgets for health care, education and infrastructure, and your permitted pollution will keep it listed as the state with the highest risk for pollution-related diseases.
And you know you can keep winning, until global market forces turn the profits too low, or some third-world country gives you even more of a good deal.
Then, like all polluters, you’ll pack up and go, leaving Louisiana where you found it: ranked last on that list of “Best States.”
Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on Twitter @BMarshallEnviro.
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March 28, 2021 at 04:00PM
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Bob Marshall: If you were a CEO, would you move your company to the 50th ranked state? - NOLA.com
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