The community of Ironton, Louisiana, scored a key victory in the fight against oil and gas companies last week. Tallgrass Energy Partners canceled its planned $2.5 billion oil export terminal and pipeline project on Friday and will instead focus on preserving historic sites and developing what CEO William Moler claims will be a “very environmentally clean, friendly and respectful” project.

”Our cultural survey work identified a cemetery and potential artifacts consistent with what community members shared about the history of the site,” Moler told the Times-Picayune. “Since then, we reduced our development footprint to protect those areas and engaged with the Ironton community and other local stakeholders on an appropriate path toward memorializing them.”

The 200-acre stretch of land along the river owned by the Plaquemines Port Harbor & Transit District and leased to Tallgrass includes land from the former St. Rosalie Plantation. The community of Ironton was established by former Black slaves emancipated from the plantation, which was operated by a free Black man who is buried with his family on the property. Residents had major concerns over the Tallgrass project impacting that place of rest as well as a nearby cemetery for enslaved people.

Ironton residents have done incredible work to preserve their community and combat climate change. In 2014, they led the charge against the RAM coal terminal and the company ultimately lost key permits that forced it to abandon its project. Tallgrass faced similar pushback, with leaders filing impassioned public comments against the company as the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality began its review of Tallgrass’ air permit application.

“We have our families here, our homes here, our kids here … we already have a grain elevator that releases dust. There is already a refinery here. Many people get cancer and sickness from that,” Wilke DeClouet told the nonprofit Healthy Gulf. “Tallgrass has no regard for our community. They wouldn’t build in Belle Chasse and put a tank farm on the Catholic Cemetery there, so why here?”

Belle Chasse is a primarily white community also in Plaquemines Parish, and it has faced few of the challenges Ironton residents have encountered for generations because of systemic racism. It took until 1980 for the community to get running water. The levee system protecting Ironton has consistently failed when faced with major storms like Hurricanes Katrina, Isaac, and now Ida.

Tallgrass’ proposed oil terminal and pipeline would have threatened a much-needed storm protection effort: coastal restoration in the form of rebuilding wetlands at the planned Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion site. The project is part of the Coastal Master Plan, which aims to create 30,000 acres over half a century. Wetlands help slow storm winds and water and act as a natural protective measure.

Ironton continues to battle oil and gas companies that actively harm its residents and the entire planet. The community must still live alongside two coal export terminals and is part of the swath of land in Louisiana known as Cancer Alley. Earlier this month, Environmental Protection Agency head Michael Regan met with community leaders in nearby St. John and St. James parishes over concerns about Cancer Alley.

The appearance was part of his “Regan’s Journey to Justice” tour of areas in the Gulf South that have dedicated their lives to environmental justice. It’s all good and well that Regan took the time to speak with those leading the fight against major polluters, but it feels like nothing more than lip service when you consider the massive Gulf of Mexico offshore oil auction that coincided with Regan’s road trip.

The frenzy of bids—the first under the Biden administration—saw companies like BP, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil put up millions to obtain drilling rights on the 308 tracks that make up more than 80 million acres up for grabs. Total bids hit nearly $200 million. Though an offshore drilling and fracking moratorium was previously imposed by Joe Biden, it was overturned in June thanks to a lawsuit filed by 13 states and led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Ironton is just an hour’s drive from some of those offshore drilling sites.

It’s time to put a stop to offshore drilling and stand with communities committed to fighting back against the fossil fuel industry. Call on President Biden to put an end to this harmful practice.