Louisiana stifles community air monitoring with threat of million-dollar fines, federal lawsuit says
May 22, 2025
A coalition of Louisiana environmental groups is suing the state over a law they say violates their free speech rights by restricting them from sharing information about air quality. The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday, argues that Louisiana’s Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act is unconstitutional and imposes onerous requirements such as a $1 million penalty for violations. Some groups say they have stopped sharing data on their social media platforms as a result. The state has argued the law is necessary to prevent misinformation after an influx in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to support grassroots air monitoring in heavily industrialized areas.