Modeste, LA — Rural Roots Louisiana and Mt. Triumph Baptist Church today took unprecedented legal action to protect West Ascension Parish, Louisiana, by filing three lawsuits – two in state court and one in federal court. Together, the cases seek to protect cultural heritage and force public accountability and transparency as the state and federal governments move aggressively to incentivize industrialization of the troubled RiverPlex MegaPark, an industrial complex targeting the West Bank of Ascension Parish.
The displacement of residents of the historic community of Modeste and the industrial takeover of the town of Donaldsonville are among the threats making this project controversial.
In these videos, the plaintiffs and their attorney discuss the significance of these actions.
At issue are government plans to authorize and incentivize large corporate industrialization of the area. Louisiana Economic Development and the Port of South Louisiana have offered $600 million in public funding to support industrial expansion by Hyundai, ExxonMobil, and CF Industries. The government agencies have not followed basic public process and notice requirements in Louisiana law and the state constitution. In a rush to incentivize industrialization, the state and federal governments have ignored legal requirements to identify and preserve important cultural and historic sites, including burial grounds of enslaved people. Despite these failures, and before all necessary permits have been granted, site preparation activities have already begun.
“We were never even consulted about this plan,” said Twila Collins, a Modeste resident and Rural Roots member whose home is in the middle of the proposed complex. “Money is flowing, and dump trucks are already rolling all day and night. We have had to fight just to understand when and how huge companies are being allowed to threaten our homes and our heritage using our own tax dollars.”
Two of the cases expose fundamental flaws in plans for the complex by Louisiana Economic Development and the Port of South Louisiana. In offering $600 million of public funding to support global publicly traded corporations including Hyundai, ExxonMobil, and CF Industries, these state government agencies did not seek legally required approval and did not notify the public as required by law, according to the filings. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is also a plaintiff in these two lawsuits.
“Our clients do not want their community and cultural and historical resources destroyed by these polluting facilities – and they have a right to openness and transparency from their own government,” said Jen Duggan, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project. “It’s shameful that state and federal officials have ignored the law in order to fast-track projects that will benefit corporations while the residents of Modeste and Ascension Parish are forced to endure even more pollution.”
“It appears that Louisiana Economic Development and the Port of South Louisiana either don’t know the law or are ignoring the law,” said Ashley Gaignard, President of Rural Roots Louisiana. “The failure to take the most basic legal steps when so much public money is involved raises questions about the state of Louisiana’s competence to manage such a huge project with complex financing.”
The third case, filed by Rural Roots Louisiana and Mt. Triumph Baptist Church against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, challenges the Corps’ decision to allow CF Industries to conduct extensive ground-disturbing activities before confirming the location of burial sites of enslaved people known to exist on the properties, and consulting with descendants.
“In pushing through this industrial expansion, the state of Louisiana and the Army Corps of Engineers have disregarded basic steps mandated by law,” said Pastor Harry Joseph of Mt. Triumph Baptist Church. “I don’t think the state or the federal government thought about the graves of our ancestors or any of the cultural and historic heritage and resources of Modeste, Donaldsonville, and West Ascension Parish. The government is neglecting the graves of people who were enslaved there and threatening the future of these historic communities.”
“It’s astonishing to see how casually state officials think they can dispense with hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and decide to end a Louisiana community that has been there for generations,” said Pam Spees, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs with the Center for Constitutional Rights. “Worse, so much of this has happened behind a veil of secrecy and non-disclosure agreements for the benefit of companies that will bring more pollution to the Parish. The plaintiffs are having to bring these cases to get answers to serious questions about how all of this transpired.”
At a May 2025 White House press conference announcing the project, President Trump vowed to clear the way for the Hyundai steel facility that is part of the expansion, promising, “If you have any trouble getting permits – which you won’t – come see me. I’ll get ‘em for you immediately, alright? You’re not gonna have any trouble.”
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About the Environmental Integrity Project: The Environmental Integrity Project is America’s environmental watchdog. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting public health and our natural world by holding polluters and government agencies accountable under the law. We advocate for tough but fair environmental standards and empower communities fighting for clean air and clean water.
About Rural Roots Louisiana: At Rural Roots Louisiana, we believe in the strength of local communities and in our youth. Our mission is to empower residents through sustainable initiatives that promote growth and resilience. We emphasize youth engagement, empowering our kids through advocacy and initiatives that promote leadership.
About Mt. Triumph Baptist Church: Mt. Triumph Baptist Church, located in St. James Parish, is known as the “little church with the big heart.” Pastor Harry Joseph is the pastor of the church, which was founded in 1909.
About Louisiana Bucket Brigade: Founded in 2000, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a healthy, pollution-free future for Louisiana, prioritizing the wellbeing of communities over petrochemical expansion.
About the Center for Constitutional Rights: The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org. Follow the Center for Constitutional Rights on social media: Center for Constitutional Rights on Facebook, @theCCR on Twitter, ccrjustice on Instagram, and @ccrjustice.org on Bluesky.
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Litigation Background
The lawsuits against the state agencies were filed in state court, while the suit against the Army Corps of Engineers was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs are represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and William Quigley, co-counsel based in New Orleans, on the cases against the state agencies, and by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Environmental Integrity Project on the case against the Army Corps.
The lawsuits filed today are as follows:
Rural Roots et al v. Louisiana Economic Development (LED)
In order to ensure that Louisianans know how the government is managing public resources and finances, state law requires that the public be informed of large incentive packages and tax rebates like the one provided to Hyundai. LED failed entirely to comply with these basic public notice requirements and submit its Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with Hyundai to the State Bond Commission as required by law. The CEA requires the state to provide Hyundai with up to $100 million for land purchase, $100 million reimbursement for construction, and $1.2 billion in parish tax exemptions, among other guarantees. It also allows Hyundai to withhold agreed-upon payments to the Parish if the state fails to meet its financial commitments. Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the agreement null and void.
Rural Roots et al v. Port of South Louisiana
In order to protect its citizens, the Louisiana Constitution requires that, when an agency of the state incurs debt, like a revenue bond, notice must be published in the official journal of the state. In August of 2025, the port authorized an issuance of up to $400 million in revenue bonds yet failed to publish notice as legally required. This notice is vital to keeping the public informed of the use of public funds and public debt, since the law provides only a 30-day window to question the bond issuances. Plaintiffs are asking the court to rule that the port must provide public notice as required by law and stop the port from issuing bonds until it complies with the legal requirements.
Rural Roots et al v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Both federal and state law require protection of important cultural and historic sites like burial grounds. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is derelict in its statutory duty to protect the burial sites of enslaved people from adverse effects due to the industrial construction. Nor has the Corps adequately followed policy guidance from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to engage with members of the impacted community early and meaningfully as part of the review process required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Plaintiffs are asking the court to order the Corps to stop all activities on the site, to begin the Section 106 consultation process with Rural Roots Louisiana as a consulting party, and to require that the cemetery be located and a plan made to preserve and protect it.
Media Contact:
Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org
