Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

The author is with Westlake Mayor Bob Hardey, watching a video of Sasol, a South African petrochemical company that is expanding its plant in Westlake, Louisiana. Bob is pleased with the collaboration and hopes that Sasol will bring revenue to the area. The town has long lacked resources and revenue, although that began to change during the fracking boom that resulted in the construction of plants like Sasol. The author learns that petrochemical companies were perceived as sources of not only community, but national strength: They reduced American dependence on foreign oil and could shape American foreign policy. Companies like Sasol were given tax breaks and allowed to pollute area lands and waters. While these companies engaged in environmentally damaging practices, state public information campaigns urged Louisiana residents to reduce their commute times, mow their lawns less frequently, and stop idling their car engines. The author is struck by how the responsibility of environmental protection has been shifted away from corporations and onto the individual.

Working with Sasol has not been entirely easy, however. The company has asked for various projects, such as a new well, to be completed, but offered only partial funding and asked for the state to pay the rest.