Frequently Asked Questions​

Environmental justice (EJ) is a term that refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Environmental justice seeks to address the disproportionately high and adverse environmental impacts that often fall on disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Environmental justice emphasizes the need to consider the potential environmental impacts on these communities and to ensure that they have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the decision-making process impacting the health of their community.

The environmental justice (EJ) movement is a social and political movement that emerged in the United States alongside the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, gained momentum in the 1980s, and became politically relevant in the 1990s. It is a movement that seeks to address the disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards on marginalized or disadvantaged communities, particularly communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of grassroots organizations emerged that focused on issues related to the environment and social justice. These early organizations were often led by indigenous and people of color, and they focused on issues such as the placement of toxic waste facilities, air pollution, and land use. In 1968, for example, the “Memphis Sanitation Strike” was taken against EJ concerns and the unfair treatment of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. The strike advocated for fair pay and better working conditions for Memphis garbage workers. It was the first time African Americans mobilized a national, broad-based group to oppose environmental injustices.

One of the key events that helped to galvanize the modern environmental justice movement was the Warren County protests in 1982. In that year, the state of North Carolina approved the construction of a hazardous waste landfill in Warren County, a predominantly African American community in North Carolina. Local residents, many of whom were elderly and poor, organized protests and civil disobedience campaigns to try to stop the construction of the landfill. These protests and the subsequent arrests attracted national attention and helped to spark a broader movement for environmental justice.

In Houston, Texas, a group of African American homeowners challenged the siting and construction of the Whispering Pines Sanitary Landfill from being placed within less than one mile of a local public school (and within two miles of 6 schools). Residents organized hired attorney Linda McKeever Bullard to file a class action lawsuit to block the landfill from being built. The case, Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management, Inc., was the first of its kind in the U.S. that claimed, under civil rights laws, the environmental discrimination in the siting of a waste facility.

Since the 1980s, the environmental justice movement has grown and evolved. It has influenced public policy and brought attention to the way that environmental hazards disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Today, the movement is global in scope and includes a wide range of organizations and activists working to promote environmental justice and equity.

Environmental racism refers to the practice of placing environmental hazards, such as toxic waste dumps, landfills, and industrial polluters, in or near marginalized communities, particularly communities of color. The concept of environmental racism also encompasses the practice of denying environmental benefits, such as tree canopy, public amenities, access to natural spaces, affordable utilities and clean drinking water, to disadvantaged communities. Environmental racism can have serious consequences for the health and well-being of the people who live, work and worship in these communities.

Some examples of environmental racism include:

• The placement of hazardous waste facilities in predominantly African American neighborhoods;
• The siting of power plants and other industrial polluters in Latino and low-income neighborhoods;
• The lack of enforcement of environmental regulations in indigenous communities;
• The disproportionate impact of climate change on disadvantaged communities; and
• The lack of access to clean air, water, and other natural resources in low-income and marginalized communities;
• The “rubber stamping” approval of environmental permits for industrial operators that are disproportionately releasing pollutants in low-income inner-city neighborhoods; and
• The inability to construct public parks and playgrounds in predominantly Latino and low-income communities.

Environmental racism is often linked to broader systems of racial and economic inequality, and it can have long-term consequences for the health, prosperity, and well-being of affected communities.

Environmental justice encompasses issues relating to civil rights, public health, economic opportunities, government, housing and environmental conservationism, among others. As a result, EJ is important because:

1. Environmental justice helps to ensure that all people have the right to live in a healthy and safe environment, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.
2. Environmental justice promotes equity and addresses the disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards on marginalized communities. These communities are often disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and have fewer resources to protect themselves and fight back against environmental harms.
3. Environmental justice can lead to improved health outcomes for affected communities. Environmental hazards can have serious consequences for people’s health, including increased rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health problems.
4. Environmental justice can help to build more sustainable and resilient communities. By addressing environmental hazards and promoting the use of clean energy and other sustainable practices, we can create communities that are better equipped to withstand environmental challenges such as climate change and more extreme weather events.
5. Environmental justice is important for the overall health of our planet. By addressing environmental injustices and promoting equity, we can create a more sustainable and healthier world for all.

The environmental justice movement is a social and political movement that seeks to address the disproportionate negative impacts of environmental harms and policies on marginalized or disadvantaged communities. These communities are often low-income and/or communities of color and may unfairly receive a disproportionate burden of environmental harms due to the location of environmental hazards, such as toxic waste facilities or industrial polluters, in or near their neighborhoods. The environmental justice movement seeks to empower these communities and give them a stronger voice in decision-making processes that affect the environment in which they live.

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Environmental racism is a closely related concept that refers to the ways in which marginalized communities, particularly communities of color and diverse are disproportionately affected by negative environmental impacts. These impacts can include exposure to pollutants, lack of access to green spaces and healthy food, and inadequate resources for addressing environmental hazards.

Dr. Robert Bullard, known by many as the “Father of Environmental Justice,” defines environmental racism as “any policy, practice or directive that differentially affects or disadvantages (where intended or unintended) individuals, groups or communities based on race.”

Environmental justice aims to address these issues by ensuring that the burdens of environmental degradation are distributed equitably and that all communities have an equal opportunity to participate in decision-making processes that affect the environment.

The environmental justice movement began in the United States in the 1970s, with grassroots activism by communities of color and low-income communities who were disproportionately affected by environmental hazards such as toxic waste dumps, power plants, and other pollution sources. Some of the early leaders of the movement include Dr. Robert D. Bullard, who is often referred to as the “father of environmental justice,” and the late Rev. Benjamin Chavis, who was the first executive director of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice.