Environment & Pollution
Overview of Environment and Pollution
The Major Types of Pollution
Air Pollution: is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals in the air, at levels that pose a health risk. There are many reasons for this. Primary among these is excessive fuel combustion which has become a basic necessity for cooking, transport, power, and other industrial activities.
Water Pollution: can be defined as the presence of toxic chemicals and other biological components within groundwater that exceed what is naturally found in the water and may be seen as a threat to human health and/or the environment. It can be attributed to many things like industrial waste dumped into the rivers and sea which can cause a huge imbalance in the water which makes the bodies of water dangerous for aquatic lives.
Soil Pollution: is defined as the existence of toxic chemicals in soil. These chemicals need to have high enough concentrations to put human health and/or the ecosystem at risk. This can also be called land pollution, which occurs due to the incorporation of unwanted chemicals in the soil because of human activities.
Overview of Pollution in the United States
In the United States, millions of people are impacted by different forms of pollution. However, people within the United States are not evenly effected by pollution, "studies show that in the United States, people of color and low-income communities face a significantly higher risk of health effects" (UNEP). In a country that prides itself on equality, why is the risk from pollution so unequal? This is due to the country's history of segregation by race and socioeconomic standing. As seen in the graph below, minorities and people of low socioeconomic standing tend to live closer to industrial areas and superfund sites. Pollution sites tend to be located closer to low income communities because these communities do not have the funds to fight against factories and dumping sites being put in their community. This leads to higher exposure to chemicals and higher rates of pollution related illness.
Key Concepts of Environmental Inequality
Ecological Conflict Perspectives
This sociological theory suggests that capitalism will always prioritize profits over the protection of the environment. The problems that arise from these prioritizes reflect decisions by economic and political elites, along with operations by multinational corporations that deprive people of their natural resources and the power to put a stop to pollution.
Sacrifice Zones
These zones occur when businesses environmentally destroy places where the costs of pollution are cheaper. Therefore, they focus on places with large minority groups based on race, class, and country. Focusing on these places of “least resistance” they know they can get away with destroying the environment in those communities because of social and economic inequalities already at play.
Environmental Racism
Occurs when a disproportionate amount of environmental hazards take place in communities where the majority of residents are in racial minority groups. Research shows that environmental protections differ by race/income. An example of this differing protection is that African-Americans are two to three times more likely to live near hazardous landfills than whites.
Environmental Justice
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines it as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
Considering Environment and Pollution in Dayton
How different forms of pollution impact the Dayton area:
Air Pollution
Dayton has been an industrialized city for a long time. With industry comes exposure to chemicals and toxins released into the air. In the 2019 Regional Air Pollution Control Agency annual report, it said that in that year alone there were 60 facility complaints, 58 open burning complaints, and 6 air pollution advisories. The burning of these toxic chemicals impacts the communities around Dayton in a negative way. The location of these factories correlates to the location of many low-income neighborhoods. It also correlates to where predominantly black communities are located in the city. Areas such as Oakwood and Kettering do not have the presence of factories while the Northern and Western side of the city is where the majority of the factories are located.
Soil/Water Pollution
North Sanitary Landfill is a local Dayton superfund site that houses a 102-acre landfill. This Landfill's operations have contaminated the soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Many fires have taken place on this location due to all the chemicals. The site sits atop and within a federally designated, sole-source aquifer which has caused many to residents have negative effects from unsafe drinking water due to this landfill. Currently, the site is still contaminated but as of 2021 remedial designs as well as remedial actions have been approved. These remedial services include Installing a multi-layer cap over 70 acres, Installing and operating a pump system to contain contaminated groundwater and prevent it from leaving the site, and Installing and operating a permanent landfill gas collection system to replace the existing system. Soon this site will receive the attention it needs to become a functional site that ensures human and environmental safety.
This map shows the local Dayton environmental risk agents that are present within the environment. It takes this information and compares it against both the state and the U.S. average. This could be an important indicator to show which cities or even states might be more at risk for environmental hazards than other places. Could use this information to treat these places before they get to severe.
Resources & Initiatives in Dayton
United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site Locator:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live
Hanley Sustainability Institute at UD:
https://udayton.edu/artssciences/ctr/hsi/index.php
Energy & Sustainability at UD:
https://udayton.edu/facilities/energy_sustainability/index.php
Dayton Regional Green:
http://www.drg3.org/About-pages/PartnersforEnv.cfm
Sustainability Resources at the Miami Valley Regional Planning Committee:
https://www.mvrpc.org/environment/sustainability-resources
Mission of Mary Cooperative:
https://www.missionofmary.org/
Regional Air Pollution Control Agency: