KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Louisiana DEQ staffing dropped 24% and budget fell 26% from 2010–2024.

Report warns cuts hinder pollution enforcement as industrial expansion accelerates.

Louisiana now leads the nation in toxic air emissions per square mile.

Expedited permitting program draws criticism for potential conflicts of interest.

As the Trump administration sheds staff and funding at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new analysis places Louisiana among states that have notably slashed their pollution regulation resources even as industry expands.

The report from the Environmental Integrity Project evaluated staffing and changes in operating budgets at Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality and comparable agencies in other states. From 2010 through 2024, the num

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