The Fight for Environmental Justice

Environmental racism refers to the systemic and intentional placement of polluting industries and hazardous waste sites in or near minority and low-income communities.

The Love Canal incident in Niagara Falls, New York, brought national attention to the issue of environmental racism when it was discovered that a chemical waste dump had been built on top of a residential neighborhood, causing health problems for residents.

The environmental justice movement is a social movement that seeks to address environmental racism and promote environmental justice by advocating for policies and practices that ensure equal protection from environmental hazards for all communities.

The Escazú Agreement is a regional agreement in Latin America and the Caribbean that recognizes the right to a healthy environment as a human right and establishes mechanisms for environmental protection and public participation.

Environmental redlining is a term used to describe the practice of siting polluting industries and hazardous waste sites in or near minority and low-income communities, often due to historical patterns of discrimination and segregation.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing environmental laws and regulations, including those related to air and water quality, hazardous waste, and toxic substances.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark U.S. federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or sex in federally funded programs and activities, including those related to environmental protection.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a U.S. federal law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of their actions and to involve the public in the decision-making process.

Public participation is the process of involving communities in environmental decision-making, ensuring that their voices are heard and their concerns are considered.

The Environmental Justice Act of 1990 is a U.S. federal law that specifically addresses environmental justice and requires federal agencies to consider the disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards on minority and low-income communities.

Environmental justice advocacy is the practice of using legal and policy tools to address environmental racism and promote environmental justice, often through community organizing, litigation, and policy advocacy.

The Basel Convention is an international environmental agreement that specifically addresses the issue of hazardous waste and its transboundary movement, aiming to minimize the generation of hazardous waste and to ensure its environmentally sound management.

Environmental injustice refers to the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards on minority and low-income communities, resulting in adverse health and environmental impacts.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for promoting environmental justice and ensuring that all communities have equal access to a healthy environment.

Environmental gentrification is the practice of relocating polluting industries and hazardous waste sites away from wealthy and white communities to minority and low-income communities, often through displacement and gentrification.