Elise Plunk

Elise Plunk

[email protected]

Elise Plunk is an environmental reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator and Report for America corps member based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She grew up in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida, where she was a reporter for WUFT news and editor-in-chief of Atrium Magazine. Elise's work is a part of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, which offers free coverage of agriculture, water and environmental issues from a network of reporters centered around the Mississippi River Basin to news outlets across the nation.

Far offshore, scientists find fresh evidence of human harm to reefs
Louisiana

Far offshore, scientists find fresh evidence of human harm to reefs

4:42pm ET
Elise Plunk
An isolated reef off the coast of Louisiana and Texas holds within its corals a record of Earth’s history, and scientists are reading it to understand how nutrients from the Mississippi River are affecting the reef’s health amid rising threats...
Louisiana reports its first rabies case in a dog since 2014
Louisiana

Louisiana reports its first rabies case in a dog since 2014

Sep 11, 2026
Elise Plunk
A dog in Acadiana has been diagnosed with rabies, state health department officials confirmed Friday, marking the first canine case of the disease in Louisiana in more than 10 years. Rabies has been relatively rare in Louisiana dogs over the...
Former EPA officials warn of health risks from data center pollution
Louisiana

Former EPA officials warn of health risks from data center pollution

Sep 10, 2026
Elise Plunk
Former federal environmental officials are sounding an alarm in a new report about potential health impacts from data center pollution amidst what they see as a breakdown in oversight. The Environmental Protection Network, a nonprofit organization made up of current...
Louisiana marks National 988 Day with awareness event
Louisiana

Louisiana marks National 988 Day with awareness event

Sep 08, 2026
Elise Plunk
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that the Southern University Marching Band did not attend the event as previously planned. State officials and mental health advocacy groups gathered Tuesday at the Capitol Gardens to spread awareness for Louisiana’s...
Labor Day brings heat, water safety reminders in Louisiana
Louisiana

Labor Day brings heat, water safety reminders in Louisiana

Sep 04, 2026
Elise Plunk
Louisiana is urging the public to be aware of heat and water risks as people celebrate the unofficial end of summer during the Labor Day weekend. “Labor Day is a time for families across Louisiana to enjoy the outdoors, and...
Concerned neighbors, supporters speak out at hearing on Hyundai steel mill pollution permit
Louisiana

Concerned neighbors, supporters speak out at hearing on Hyundai steel mill pollution permit

Sep 02, 2026
Elise Plunk
DONALDSONVILLE — A crowd staunchly divided over whether the state should grant a key permit for the Hyundai steel mill planned in Ascension Parish filled every seat available Tuesday night at the Lemann Center Gymnasium. T-shirts emblazoned with personal opinions...
LSU, Rhode Island received $4M grant to expand wetlands science work
Louisiana

LSU, Rhode Island receive $4M grant to expand wetlands science work

Sep 01, 2026
Elise Plunk
Louisiana State University, in partnership with the University of Rhode Island, has been awarded a $4 million National Science Foundation grant to advance wetland science. The funding will be used to both build new planning tools and connect data from...
Neighbors, clean air groups want to pump the brakes on Hyundai steel mill pollution permit
Louisiana

Neighbors, clean air groups want to pump the brakes on Hyundai steel mill pollution permit

Aug 28, 2026
Elise Plunk
Correction: The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality public hearing for the Hyundai steel mill projected is being held Sept. 1. Ascension Parish residents and environmental groups are voicing concerns over the speed at which the Hyundai steel mill project in...
Amazon’s data center network in Northwest Louisiana is going to get bigger
Louisiana

Amazon’s data center network in Northwest Louisiana is going to get bigger

Aug 18, 2026
Elise Plunk
Amazon and state officials announced Tuesday the company’s data center hub under construction in Northwest Louisiana will be expanded. A third facility, not officially part of Amazon’s original $12 billion investment announced in February, will bring the total project value...
Rental aid available in Louisiana for Tropical Storm Arthur damage
Louisiana

Rental aid available in Louisiana for Tropical Storm Arthur damage

Aug 17, 2026
Elise Plunk
Federal rental assistance will be available to Louisiana residents who can’t live in their homes because of damage from Tropical Storm Arthur. The storm hit in late June, flooding areas in the central and southeastern parts of the state. Gov...
Whooping cranes are on the cusp of a comeback story. Could Trump policy change the ending?
Louisiana

Whooping cranes are on the cusp of a comeback story. Could Trump policy change the ending?

Aug 17, 2026
Elise Plunk
The calls of whooping cranes from an isolated corner of the New Orleans west bank cut through the humid August air like fire alarms, echoing back and forth in cacophonous, punctuated bursts of conversation. Richard Dunn, assistant curator for the...
Heat deaths drop dramatically in Louisiana, but health officials still urge caution
Louisiana

Heat deaths drop dramatically in Louisiana, but health officials still urge caution

Aug 07, 2026
Elise Plunk
The number of heat-related deaths in Louisiana is on a steep decline, but state health officials are still urging the public to take precautions as extreme summertime heat surges on. Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein confirmed in a news conference Friday...