Norco & Coastal Louisiana - USA Air pollution and marinelife threatened |
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The town of Norco, on the banks of the Mississippi, is the site of a large Shell oil refinery. Norco is located in 'Cancer Alley', a 136-kilometre area along the river with more than 130 refineries and petrochemical factories. Diamond, a suburb of Norco, is sandwiched between two Shell factories. Although Shell has never acknowledged the health problems it has caused, in 2002 the company was forced by the residents of Norco to decrease its pollution and to offer residents the chance to relocate. Shell has displayed similar indifference regarding the consequences of its proposed gas terminal to the fishing industry. Shell wants to transport frozen liquid gas to a terminal in the gulf, where it will be warmed in an open-loop system through which 757 million litres of water per day will flow via a radiator-like structure. This will pose a great threat to marine life. |