By Treven Pyles on June 19th, 2026 in Ethylene Oxide
Within three miles of this facility sit residential neighborhoods, schools, churches, and community parks where families have lived and gathered for generations. The facility at 355 LA Highway 3142 in Hahnville, Louisiana, is a roughly 2,000-acre petrochemical complex that has been in operation since 1966. Now owned by Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary of Dow, the site has been identified by the EPA as a facility that emits ethylene oxide, a colorless gas the EPA classifies as a human carcinogen. Following its own risk screening efforts, the EPA conducted technical assessments and community outreach regarding EtO emissions from the facility and held community meetings to discuss potential health risks for nearby residents.
Killona sits on the west bank of the Mississippi River in immediate proximity to the St. Charles Operations plant. Because of how close it sits to the facility boundary, essentially the entire community falls within a three-mile radius. Residents throughout Killona, including those near local churches, parks, and recreational areas along the river corridor, are among the closest residential populations to the facility. Families who spent years or decades living in Killona may have accumulated significant cumulative exposure to EtO emissions over that time.
Norco sits on the east bank of the Mississippi River directly across from portions of the industrial corridor. Much of the town falls within approximately three miles of St. Charles Operations, including residential neighborhoods in western and central Norco, community churches, public schools, and neighborhood parks and athletic facilities. Norco is a community where many families have deep roots, and residents who spent years attending school, attending church, and raising children there were doing so within close range of an ethylene oxide-emitting facility throughout that time.
Hahnville sits immediately adjacent to the facility, and the northern portions of the town clearly fall within three miles of the plant. Because Hahnville extends southward away from the river, the three-mile boundary cuts through the town rather than covering it entirely. Residents in northern Hahnville, particularly those living near LA Highway 3142 and the river corridor, are most likely to fall within the radius. Those living farther south may not.
A three-mile radius around an industrial facility is not just a measurement of distance. It describes the full geography of daily life for the people who live within it. Among the educational institutions located nearest to the St. Charles Operations facility are Hahnville High School, R.K. Smith Middle School, and Norco Elementary School. Children attending these schools may have spent years inside the three-mile radius while simultaneously living in nearby homes, compounding their total time within the exposure zone.
Community institutions, including St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and churches serving Killona, Hahnville, and Norco residents, have long served as gathering places for families throughout the parish. Community centers and gathering places along River Road have similarly brought residents together within close range of the facility over many years. Exposure assessments consider not just where people sleep but where they spend meaningful time, and for many St. Charles Parish residents, that includes decades of attendance at the same schools, churches, and community events located within this radius.
Ethylene oxide is a carcinogen that the EPA evaluates based on chronic, long-term cumulative exposure. Families who have lived in Killona, Norco, or northern Hahnville for 20, 30, or more years, and in some cases across multiple generations in the same neighborhood, have accumulated a residential history that is directly relevant to an EtO exposure assessment. The gap between exposure and a cancer diagnosis can span decades, which means a diagnosis received today may reflect years of exposure that began long ago.
If you lived in Killona, Norco, Hahnville, or another community within three miles of Union Carbide St. Charles Operations and have been diagnosed with leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or breast cancer, your residential history and medical records may support a claim. ELG Law has spent over three decades representing individuals affected by toxic chemical exposure. Reach out to our team for a free case evaluation and let us review your records at no cost.