Fenceline follows the story of Margie Richard, who claims that her African American community is suffering adverse health effects, due to the chemical emissions of a neighboring plant owned by the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company. The town of Norco, Louisiana which derives its name from the New Orleans Refining Company, is divided between those who consider Shell a fair neighbor that carefully monitors it's chemical emissions and the all-black Diamond Community. As a result of Shell's industrial expansion, the size of the Diamond Community has been reduced to four streets that extend from the plant's fence line. Chemicals that have been identified in the air in the Norco community include Benzene, which is known to cause cancer in humans; Epychlor Hydron, which is a suspected human cancer causing agent and has been linked to testicular dysfunction; and Toluene, Ethyl Benzene and Sulfur Compounds, which are all linked to birth defects. Out of concern that these chemicals are aversely affecting their health, the Diamond Community has been asking Shell to relocate them.

Televised Broadcasts
PBS, USA
True Stories: Life In the USA: screenings at public television stations in developing countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, ITVS presentation, 2005-06


Awards & Prizes
Best Documentary Feature - 2003 Environmental Media Association Awards
Best in Category (Environmental Issues) - Vermont International Film Festival
Certificate of Merit - San Francisco International Film Festival
John Michaels Memorial Award - Big Muddy Film Festival
Platinum Award (News & Documentary) - Worldfest, Houston

Official Selection
Memphis International Film Festival
Cinefeuille Film Festival
Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival
Athens International Film and Video Festival
The Malibu Film Festival
Seoul Independent Documentary Festival, Korea
The Peace and Human Security Media Festival, New York City
Hope and Dreams Film Festival
Okomedia Film Festival, Germany
Ekofilm, Czech Republic
9th International Festival of Health Films, France
XII Prix Leonardo, Parma, Italy
Planet In Focus, Toronto, Canada

Official Site

Trailer