Environmental Justice

Environmental Racism

"Environmental racism" refers to practices and policies that disproportionately impact people of color and exclude them from decision making boards and decisions.  This impact can be intended or unintended.  

Stats:

• Racial minorities are 40% more likely to live near hazardous facilities.

Examples:

Dakota Pipeline Access

In North Dakota a large portion of the 1,172 mile pipeline that was proposed to pass near Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Cancer Alley

An 85 mile long heavily industrial strip that stretches across the Missiippi River between Lousianna and Baton Rouge.  This industrial strip is known for containing an abundance of petroleum plants, which is a main cause of cancer.

https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/styles/opengraph/public/media_2023/06/202306ehr_usa_baton_rouge_louisiana_cancer_alley.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=MtjU_u6e

More info on Environmental Racism:

For more information and examples of Environmental Racism visit https://www.catherinecolemanflowers.com.  Specifically check out Flowers's 2020 book, Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret.  

"Sacrifice Zones"

Cases

The Roots of Environmental Justice: Warren County, NC

Warren County NC 1982 PCB Dump and the Impact of this Event

PCBs are fat-soluble substances that human exposure to can increase the risks of diseases and disrupt the immune system greatly. In Warren County, North Carolina, (1982) a protest was staged by a community of predominately African Americans to push back against 7,000 truckloads of PCB-contaminated soil to a local landfill. The citizens practiced a peaceful protest by laying down in the road to “block” the trucks from getting to their location, resulting in 500+ citizens getting arrested over 6-week period. 

While the campaign failed to keep the shipments away from the landfill, the movement attracted national attention and started the fight against companies disrupting lower-income and minority communities with their environmental hazards. As a result of this movement, there were discussions on the issues presented by the communities. 

In 1991, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit took place, leading to Bill Clinton signing the Environmental Justice Executive Order in 1994 and establishing the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC).

 Unique Examples of Environmental Racism: Indigenous Groups

Church Rock, NM (Navajo Nation)