Environmental racism is the concept that has come to show the ways in which people of color are negatively affected by environmental toxicity as a result of pollution and institutional racism. Non-white people are disproportionately poisoned at higher rates than whites, regardless of economic status. Not only that, but non-white neighborhoods are actually targeted by industries and institutions for waste dumping or incinerators based on the fact that people of color tend to have less political/social power. Therefore they’re less likely to successfully fight against these institutions. Additionally, they are less likely to move away from the harmful areas due to racial tensions, economic status, and racial discrimination. Environmental Justice is the movement that has been fighting to reduce pollution and protect people and the environment and has wanted to bring a racial equity lens to the movement. The article “PCB’s and Warren County” describes the progression leading up to a toxic waste dump being built in Warren County despite the protests of the residents. The main issues were that when PCB resale was banned by the government, an irresponsible company illegally dumped thirty-thousand gallons of PCB fluids on about 270 miles in North Carolina. The state decided to build a dump to store the contaminated soil indefinitely and they picked Warren County as their location. The residents of that county learned that there was little protection for their drinking water for when the contaminated soil would begin to leach into the ground, so they staged a large protest where about 500 people were arrested. This event marked history and set the tone for how important civic participation is in cases against industry giants and the governments. The citizens of Warren County weren’t successful in stopping the dump site, however they gained respect from the state and their concerns were taken into account, which lead to water and health monitoring of the area. The issues at Warren County constitute institutional racism because the state and EPA probably thought that poor neighborhood, which was comprised of over 65% Black residents, wouldn’t have much to say. Not only that, but the dump was built anyway, despite the intense protests. I do believe that class was a much larger element in this particular case given that a large part of the population was white and they fought just as hard against the state on the issue because they would be equally impacted by the PCB's and pollution. You can watch a documentary about the Warren County case using the link below. In the Duwamish River clean-up effort, there are certainly issues of environmental justice because the people most negatively impacted by the pollution and the polluted river are Native Americans, Asian, and the Latino Population of Seattle. There are many cultural , educational, and language barriers to public participation, which is the reason why the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition has worked so hard to include voices from those residents who would otherwise go unheard and unseen. They’ve been successful at making an impact in regards to the effectiveness of the clean-up and keeping the county and the businesses accountable. One possible issue I see with the Portland Harbor in regards to environmental justice is that it is believed that some residents, particularly poorer or homeless residents, use fishing as a food source in the polluted river. This poses a major health risk because the fish are not safe to eat and yet they may have an economic need to use this as a main protein source. There are other social issues to consider –for example, there are hundreds of new residents in the Portland area and they may not be well informed about the pollution and costs of cleanup of the Portland Harbour. Portland is a home to many refugees of many parts of the world who may not speak English well enough to stay informed and participate as an interested resident. Their knowledge and community ties may be limited. It is important to actively seek these folks out, like they did in Seattle, so that their voices and ideas can be heard as well. - Gloria
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AuthorsWe are Portland State students who care about the urban rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Archives
May 2018
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