Disappearance of a Community
Founded in the 1870s by freed slaves, Reveilletown, Louisiana, sat across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge. Nearby, the Georgia Gulf Corporation produced plastics for automobile trim, computer parts, medical supplies, and vinyl window frames. The plant emitted vinyl chloride, a poison known to cause liver disease. Residents sued Georgia Gulf and over a period of four years, the entire town of 106 residents was relocated. All of the homes were torn down and the historic community disappeared.
Founded in the 1870s by freed slaves, Reveilletown, Louisiana, sat across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge. Nearby, the Georgia Gulf Corporation produced plastics for automobile trim, computer parts, medical supplies, and vinyl window frames. The plant emitted vinyl chloride, a poison known to cause liver disease. Residents sued Georgia Gulf and over a period of four years, the entire town of 106 residents was relocated. All of the homes were torn down and the historic community disappeared.