About Us 

Concerned Citizens of St. John (CCSJ) is a grassroots non-profit in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, committed to protecting the health, environment, and future of local residents—especially children—through advocacy, education, and environmental justice. Founded in 2016 by longtime resident Robert Taylor, CCSJ emerged after the EPA revealed that the community faced the nation’s highest cancer risk due to chloroprene emissions from a nearby Denka plant.

Driven by personal tragedy and community suffering, CCSJ quickly became a force for awareness and change in “Cancer Alley,” hosting public meetings, organizing school board forums, and collaborating with partners like 350 New Orleans, Sierra Club, and the Alliance for Affordable Energy. Taylor, a lifelong resident of Reserve, has taken the fight to national and global stages—from EPA briefings in D.C. to speaking before United Nations bodies in Europe—highlighting the region’s toxic burden and the ongoing public health crisis.

The organization’s impact includes air quality monitoring projects at schools, storm recovery efforts after Hurricane Ida, and its leadership role in the "Justice40 Initiative," building capacity among 10 community-based groups to pursue environmental justice funding and policy change. With support from the EPA's Community Air Monitoring Grant and partners like Dr. Beverly Wright's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, CCSJ continues to empower residents with science, advocacy tools, and training to hold polluters and officials accountable—and create a more resilient, equitable future for St. John.

Although many of the environmental safeguards established under former President Biden were later rolled back, Denka’s announcement on May 13, 2025, to indefinitely suspend chloroprene production marked a significant milestone for the community of Reserve, Louisiana. Citing a combination of global demand decline, rising energy and raw material costs, and inflation-driven repair expenses, the company’s decision was also influenced by the mounting pressure of pollution control requirements. For local advocates like the Concerned Citizens of St. John (CCSJ), this development represents a hard-won victory in the fight for environmental justice. Their mission remains steadfast: to ensure clean air, water, and soil for future generations. With the rallying cry “Save the Children… Save our Future,” they continue to push for a transition away from petrochemical industries and single-use plastics, envisioning a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

For More about our work contact us here.