environmental racism

Why Does White East Palestine, Ohio Get Apologies, But None for Black Cancer Alley?

Why Does White East Palestine, Ohio Get Apologies, But None for Black Cancer Alley?

On Wednesday, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw told a Senate hearing he was “terribly sorry” for February’s fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The train was loaded with poisonous chemicals. The most notable was vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen. The resulting spills and plumes sickened many residents, killed 40,000 fish, and caused a temporary evacuation of many of the town’s 4,700 residents.

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    EPA Launches New Environmental Justice Office

    EPA Launches New Environmental Justice Office

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new office focused on solving environmental problems in marginalized communities.  The agency announced the formation of the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights on Saturday, a move it said was in keeping with President Joe Biden’s environmental priorities.  “From day one, President Biden and […]

    New Black-Focused Climate Solutions Initiative Launches

    New Black-Focused Climate Solutions Initiative Launches

    The Black Hive, a new climate initiative focused on equitable climate solutions, launched Thursday. The initiative, launched by the Movement for Black Lives, aims to build upon the 2021 Red, Black, and Green New Deal. “The climate crisis is happening because of corporate greed, government negligence, the divestment of solutions and the investment into the harmful […]

    EPA Investigating Racism in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ Permitting Decisions

    EPA Investigating Racism in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ Permitting Decisions

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating whether the Louisiana state departments of Environmental Quality and Health illegally discriminated against black residents in permitting decisions regarding two chemical plants and a grain export terminal. Petitions to the EPA seeking an investigation allege the state departments failed to provide proper notice and comment opportunities to […]

    Historical Redlining Predicts Air Pollution Exposure

    Historical Redlining Predicts Air Pollution Exposure

    The legacy of U.S. racism has permeated the very air of its cities.  In a textbook example of environmental racisim, a new study from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington (UW) found that neighborhoods subject to discriminatory housing practices nearly 100 years ago still have higher levels of air pollution today.  “Racism from the […]

    Hurricanes Keep Killing Long After Landfall

    Hurricanes Keep Killing Long After Landfall

    New research is examining fuller perspectives on the lethality of hurricanes and tropical cyclones and revealing disproportionate harm upon women and people of color. Death rates in areas hit by tropical cyclones are as much as 33% higher in the months following storms, a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found, with […]

    ‘This is What Environmental Justice Looks Like’: Majority Latino Community Wins Victory Against Polluting Metal Shredder

    ‘This is What Environmental Justice Looks Like’: Majority Latino Community Wins Victory Against Polluting Metal Shredder

    A majority Latino neighborhood on Chicago’s Southeast Side has won a major environmental justice victory. On Friday, the city denied a permit for a metal shredder that community members fought with a month-long hunger strike last year. “This is a testament to the love and pride we have for the Southeast Side,” activist Gina Ramirez […]