Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (Chinese: 台塑石化股份有限公司; pinyin: Tái sù shíhuà gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōngsī) is a Taiwanese energy company engaged in refining of crude oil, distribution of refined petroleum products, the production and sales of olefins, and the generation of electricity and steam.

In 2015, Formosa Petrochemical began studying whether to build a $9.4 billion ethylene production plant on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana.

The Phase Two plant would be easily customizable to produce low- and high-density ethylene glycol, polypropylene, and other ethane derivatives.

[9] To help ensure that the project went forward, the state of Louisiana offered a $12 million grant to offset the cost of infrastructure upgrades, and provided both Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax exemptions.

A study commissioned by the nonprofit investigative news agency ProPublica concluded the plant would double the amount of cancer-causing pollutants in the town of Convent and triple them in the village of St.

The Corps initially approved construction, but environmental activists sued, arguing the agency had not considered all factors required by law.

[14] Environmental groups brought a second lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the Corps' analysis of impact on wetlands was inaccurate.

Judge White held that the state relied on "selective" and "inconsistent" data, failed to consider the cumulative impact of pollutants, and generally did not provide evidence to support its decision.