🦖Environmental Politics and Policy Unit 13 – Environmental Justice & Social Equity

Key Concepts & Definitions

• Environmental justice aims to ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental decision-making, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income
• Social equity in the context of environmental policy involves the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens across different communities and populations
• Disproportionate impact refers to the unequal exposure of certain communities (often low-income and communities of color) to environmental hazards and pollution
• Cumulative impact considers the combined effects of multiple environmental stressors on a community over time, rather than assessing each pollutant or hazard individually
  • Includes exposure to air pollution, water contamination, and proximity to hazardous waste sites
• Environmental racism describes the systemic and institutionalized discrimination that results in communities of color bearing a disproportionate burden of environmental harms
• Procedural justice focuses on the fairness and inclusivity of the decision-making processes related to environmental policies and projects
• Distributive justice addresses the equitable distribution of environmental benefits (green spaces) and burdens (pollution) across communities
• Corrective justice seeks to remedy past and ongoing environmental injustices through targeted policies, investments, and community empowerment

Historical Context

• Environmental justice movement emerged in the 1980s in response to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on low-income and communities of color
• Warren County PCB Landfill protest (1982) in North Carolina is often cited as a catalyst for the environmental justice movement, where a predominantly African American community resisted the siting of a hazardous waste landfill
• United Church of Christ's Commission for Racial Justice released the influential report "Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States" (1987), which documented the racial disparities in the location of hazardous waste facilities
• First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit (1991) in Washington, D.C., brought together activists from across the country and produced the "Principles of Environmental Justice"
• Executive Order 12898 (1994) signed by President Clinton, mandating federal agencies to address environmental justice in their policies and programs
• Flint water crisis (2014-present) in Michigan brought national attention to the issue of lead contamination and environmental injustice in predominantly African American communities
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (2016-2017) highlighted the intersection of environmental justice, indigenous rights, and the protection of sacred lands and water resources

Environmental Justice Principles

• Affirming the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity, and the interdependence of all species
• Demanding that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias
• Mandating the right to ethical, balanced, and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things
• Calling for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production, and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food
  • Includes the cleanup of contaminated sites and the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials
• Affirming the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural, and environmental self-determination of all peoples
• Demanding the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production
• Demanding the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement, and evaluation
• Affirming the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment

Case Studies & Examples

• Love Canal (Niagara Falls, New York) where a community discovered that their neighborhood was built on top of a toxic waste dump, leading to high rates of cancer, birth defects, and other health problems
  • Resulted in the creation of the Superfund program to clean up hazardous waste sites
• Kettleman City (California) where a predominantly Latino community fought against the expansion of a hazardous waste landfill, citing concerns about air and water pollution and the impact on public health
• Shintech PVC plant (Convent, Louisiana) where a proposed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing facility in a predominantly African American community was met with strong opposition due to concerns about toxic emissions and environmental health risks
  • The company eventually withdrew its plans following public pressure and legal challenges
• Altgeld Gardens (Chicago, Illinois) a public housing complex built on top of a former landfill, exposing residents to high levels of lead, PCBs, and other toxins
  • Community activism led to the creation of the People for Community Recovery, one of the first environmental justice organizations in the country
• Sunset Park (Brooklyn, New York) where a largely Asian and Latino community successfully opposed the siting of a large-scale waste transfer station, arguing that it would exacerbate existing environmental health disparities
• Barrio Logan (San Diego, California) a predominantly Latino neighborhood that has long been burdened by the presence of polluting industries and the Port of San Diego, leading to high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses
  • Community organizing efforts have focused on reducing diesel emissions and improving air quality monitoring

Policy Frameworks & Legislation

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, providing a legal basis for environmental justice claims
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 requires federal agencies to assess the environmental and social impacts of proposed actions, including the consideration of environmental justice concerns
• Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act contain provisions that can be used to address environmental justice issues related to air and water pollution
• Executive Order 12898 (1994) directs federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations
  • Requires the development of agency-specific environmental justice strategies and the inclusion of environmental justice considerations in the NEPA process
• Environmental Justice Act (proposed) would codify and strengthen the provisions of Executive Order 12898, requiring federal agencies to address environmental justice in their decision-making and providing legal remedies for communities facing disproportionate environmental impacts
• State-level environmental justice policies and laws, such as California's SB 1000 (2016) which requires local governments to identify disadvantaged communities and incorporate environmental justice policies into their general plans
• Green New Deal (proposed) includes provisions to address environmental justice and ensure that the benefits of a transition to a clean energy economy are shared equitably among all communities

Stakeholders & Community Engagement

• Affected communities, particularly low-income and communities of color, who bear the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards and pollution
  • These communities often have limited political and economic power to influence decision-making processes
• Environmental justice organizations and activists who work to empower communities, raise awareness about environmental injustices, and advocate for policy changes at the local, state, and federal levels
• Public health professionals and researchers who study the health impacts of environmental hazards and pollution on vulnerable populations and provide evidence to support environmental justice claims
• Local, state, and federal government agencies responsible for implementing and enforcing environmental regulations and policies
  • Includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Industry and business interests, such as polluting facilities and developers, who may resist environmental justice policies and regulations that could impact their operations or profitability
• Philanthropic organizations and foundations that provide funding and resources to support environmental justice initiatives and community-based organizations
• Media outlets and journalists who play a crucial role in raising public awareness about environmental justice issues and holding decision-makers accountable
• Academic institutions and researchers who study the social, economic, and political dimensions of environmental justice and develop tools and strategies for addressing environmental inequities

Challenges & Controversies

• Lack of political will and resources to address environmental justice at the federal, state, and local levels, often due to competing priorities and the influence of industry lobbying
• Difficulty in proving disproportionate impact and establishing a causal link between environmental hazards and health outcomes, particularly in the face of scientific uncertainty and limited data
• Resistance from industry and business interests who may view environmental justice policies as a threat to their economic interests and argue that such policies could lead to job losses and decreased competitiveness
• Debates over the role of market-based solutions (cap-and-trade programs) in addressing environmental justice concerns, with some arguing that such approaches can exacerbate existing inequities
• Challenges in ensuring meaningful community engagement and participation in decision-making processes, particularly for marginalized and historically underrepresented groups
  • Includes language barriers, lack of trust in government institutions, and limited access to information and resources
• Intersectionality and the need to address the multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination and disadvantage faced by communities of color, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups
• Balancing the need for economic development and job creation with the imperative to protect public health and the environment, particularly in communities that have been historically burdened by pollution and disinvestment
• Addressing the legacy of past environmental injustices and ensuring that remediation and redevelopment efforts do not lead to displacement or gentrification of affected communities

Future Directions & Solutions

• Strengthening and enforcing existing environmental justice policies and regulations, such as Executive Order 12898 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, to ensure that federal agencies are held accountable for addressing environmental inequities
• Passing new legislation, such as the Environmental Justice Act, to codify environmental justice principles into law and provide legal remedies for communities facing disproportionate environmental impacts
• Increasing funding and resources for community-based participatory research and data collection to better understand the cumulative impacts of environmental hazards on vulnerable populations and inform policy decisions
• Developing and implementing targeted programs and initiatives to address the root causes of environmental injustice, such as poverty, racism, and lack of access to healthcare and education
  • Includes investments in green infrastructure, affordable housing, and community economic development
• Promoting meaningful community engagement and empowerment in environmental decision-making processes, including the use of community benefits agreements and other tools to ensure that affected communities have a voice in shaping projects and policies that impact their lives
• Advancing a just transition to a clean energy economy that prioritizes the needs of workers and communities most impacted by the shift away from fossil fuels, ensuring that the benefits of the transition are shared equitably
• Incorporating environmental justice considerations into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, recognizing that low-income and communities of color are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
• Building diverse coalitions and partnerships among environmental justice organizations, labor unions, public health advocates, and other allies to advance a shared vision of social, economic, and environmental justice
  • Includes cross-sectoral collaborations and the development of intersectional strategies that address the multiple, overlapping forms of oppression faced by marginalized communities