#StopFormosa
Digital Toolkit
Background: Formosa Plastics, a company with a long, dirty record, wants to build a massive petrochemical facility along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana.
Expanding plastic production in Louisiana will harm communities in “Cancer Alley”-- referred to as “Death Alley” by those who live and die there--by burdening the predominantly black community with toxic air and water pollution.
The proposed plant would turn fracked gas into plastic pellets used to make throwaway plastic products like bags, utensils, and straws. This plant is just one of hundreds of petrochemical projects the fossil fuel industry is pursuing in their plan to increase U.S. plastic production by 40% over the next decade.
This digital toolkit is for coalition partners to help raise the profile of our campaign and to #StopFormosa and generate petition signatures to demand Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards puts a stop to Formosa Plastics’ polluting petrochemical complex.
Contents:
Sample Social Posts
Target: @LouisianaGov
Suggested hashtags: #StopFormosa, #EndDeathAlley
Sample Tweets:
- URGENT: Formosa’s massive plastics plant would put #CancerAlley communities and the climate at risk, just to make single use plastics that pollute our ocean. Urge @LouisianaGov to stop Formosa --> bit.ly/StopFormosaPetition #StopFormosa
- Formosa wants to build a massive plastics plant that would expand plastic production and poison communities in Louisiana’s #CancerAlley. Tell @LouisianaGov to reject Formosa Plastics TODAY --> bit.ly/StopFormosaPetition #StopFormosa
- Formosa wants to build a massive polluting plastics plant in Louisiana's #CancerAlley (aka #DeathAlley) that would emit thousands of tons of cancer-causing compounds per year. Tell @LouisianaGov to reject Formosa’s plastics plant --> bit.ly/StopFormosaPetition #StopFormosa
Sample Facebook Posts
- Formosa Plastics wants to build a massive petrochemical plant in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’. The plant would operate 24/7, annually emitting thousands of tons of cancer-causing compounds. It would also generate over 13 million tons of greenhouse gases, fueling the climate crisis. Tell Louisiana Gov. Edwards to protect local communities from toxic pollution and reject Formosa’s petrochemical plant.
Take Action Now: bit.ly/StopFormosaPetition
#StopFormosa #EndDeathAlley
- Formosa Plastics, a company recently declared a “serial offender” by a federal judge, wants to build a massive polluting plastics plant in St. James Parish, in the heart of Louisiana’s Cancer Alley (aka #DeathAlley). But the black neighborhoods there shouldn't have to endure anymore industrial pollution. Stand with St. James and demand Gov. Edwards stop Formosa’s polluting plastics plant today -->
bit.ly/StopFormosaPetition #StopFormosa #EndDeathAlley
Petition language to Gov. Edwards
Dear Governor Edwards,
I urge you to withdraw your support of Formosa Plastics' plan to build one of the largest plastic producing facilities in the world in St. James Parish. Expanding plastic production in Louisiana will harm our communities with more toxic air and water pollution and contribute to the growing global plastic-pollution crisis.
Formosa’s proposed plant would worsen the already toxic air quality in a predominantly black community known worldwide as “Cancer Alley” —referred to as “Death Alley” by those who live and die there—by emitting hundreds of thousands of cancer-causing compounds pounds per year.
The project would also emit over 13 million tons per year of greenhouse gases—roughly the same amount as the country of Costa Rica—worsening the climate crisis that has already caused devastating storms, flooding, sea level rise, and natural disasters in Louisiana.
Formosa has a clear history of environmental and safety violations. Formosa’s Point Comfort plant in Texas was found liable for polluting Texas waterways with billions of plastic pellets, and now faces fines of up to $162 million. In Louisiana, Formosa’s Baton Rouge plant has racked up significant violations of the Clean Air Act every quarter over the past decade.
This plant is just one of hundreds of petrochemical projects the fossil fuel industry is pursuing in their plan to increase U.S. plastic production by 40% over the next decade. Plastic pollution has been documented in seafood essential to Louisiana's economy and culture, such as clams, oysters and fish. If current plastic production trends continue, plastic is predicted to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050.
Louisiana deserves a just transition to a cleaner economy and healthy environment. Please protect the lives of your constituents and formally withdraw your support for Formosa's proposed petrochemical facility in St. James Parish (FG LA LLC Chemical Complex, AI# 198351).
Sincerely,
[NAME, ADDRESS]
Graphics:
Questions? Contact Delia at dcreamer@biologicaldiversity.org.