Women in the News: Environmental Racism By Meredith Williams and Nicole Tuttle

What is environmental racism?  Targeting communities of color for toxic waste disposal and the citing of polluting industries  Excluding people of color from environmental groups, decision-making boards, commission, and regulatory bodies

Studies on Environmental Racism  3 out of 5 Americans of color live in communities with uncontrolled toxic waste sites  Race is the best predictor of exposure to environmental hazards  Abandoned hazardous waste sites in minority communities takes 20% longer than those of Euro-American areas to be placed on the national priority list for cleanup  The U.S. exported 139, 000 tons of toxic waste in one year alone

North River Sewage Treatment Plant (NRSTP)  This plant located in Harlem, New York, is designed to treat 170 million gallons of raw sewage daily.  The $1.1 billion construction project was one of the largest non-military projects in this half of the century.  The plant’s construction was scheduled to be completed in four years, but scheduling problems occurred. They continued under and expedient schedule which led to numerous alterations and short cuts.

Problems with the North River Plant  General decline in health conditions in the community  Year round mosquito population  Increase in population and size of sewer rats  Noxious odors  The plant blocks the scenic view of the Hudson River

Coalitions Against North River Plant  West Harlem Independent Democratic Club (WHID)  Community Coalition Against North River (CCANR)  West Harlem Environmental Action (WHE ACT)

River Bank State Park  The park was built to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of the plant.  The park was a controversial issue.  The 28 acre facility features a football field, tennis courts, ice skating rink, carousel, six restaurants, an amphitheater, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Where else do we see environmental racism?  Warren County, North Carolina and Anniston, Alabama -Toxic Waste Landfill -PCB contaminated soil and water  East St. Louis, Illinois -Lanson Chemical Plant -Cancer and immune system disorders  East Liverpool, Ohio (Appalachia) -Waste Technology International (WTI) -Cancerous Emissions  Emelle, Alabama -Waste Management Inc -Eutaw Aquifer  New Zealand -Women of the Pacific -Global Fund for Women

Underlying Factors Related to the Role of Race  Availability of cheap land  Lack of opposition  Lack of mobility  Poverty

Toxic Waste and Race in the United States  United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice  A national report of the racial and socio- economic characteristics of communities with hazardous waste sites  Environmental racism  National Law Journal  President Clinton’s Executive Order 12898

What can we do?  Know your rights  Maintain knowledge  Stay involved in the process  Let your voice be heard!

Questions to think about…  Why are minority communities targeted more often than low-income communities? -Why is race focused on more often than class?  If these environmental hazards must go somewhere, where should they go?  Do you think that people are becoming more aware of environmental racism? -If not, how can we raise the awareness of society?