BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the Louisiana House have rejected a proposal that would require facilities that break state and federal environmental guidelines to line their fences with air monitors to detect leaked pollutants.

Supporters of the bill by Rep. Patrick Connick, a Marrero Republican, said they've been sickened by chemicals released into their communities. Connick told his colleagues: "We have a right to know what we're breathing."

But House members raised concerns about costs.

The bill was opposed by facility representatives who said it would force them to use expensive, but flawed technology on their sites around the state.

Only 24 House members voted for Connick's bill Tuesday. Sixty-five lawmakers voted against it. The vote was expected to kill the proposal for the legislative session.