![]() This decision sparked the first national protest against the location of a hazardous waste facility. In 1982, North Carolina state officials decided to place a landfill with highly toxic PCB-contaminated soil in the small town of Afton in Warren County, North Carolina. The 1982 North Carolina PCB Protest is widely recognized as the origin of the environmental justice movement. In 1968, grassroots environmental activists from several tribal nations met in Minnesota and formed an organization known as the American Indian Movement (AIM). ![]() The origins of the environmental justice movement can be traced to the Indigenous environmental movement, which itself has roots in over 500 years of colonialism, oppression, and ongoing struggles for sovereignty and land rights. Moreover, disaster prevention and recovery plans are often biased against minorities in low-income areas. ![]() Affluent, white communities tend to be located on higher ground, so they are less vulnerable to floods than communities of color. The extent of poverty within a region can often have a much stronger effect on the scale of a natural disaster's impact than the severity of the disaster itself. Natural disasters also tend to have unequal impacts on communities of color. In addition, environmental hazards can cause psychological stress. Empirical evidence suggests environmental hazards negatively affect nearby property values, employment opportunities, and economic activities. The most polluted communities tend to be those with high poverty, inadequate infrastructure, substandard schools, chronic unemployment, and poor healthcare systems. An analysis of EPA data found that unequal access to safe drinking water is strongly correlated with race. Additionally, low-income communities of color are more likely to have polluted water. There is evidence that exposure to pollution can result in a higher prevalence of disease. Ĭommunities of color are more likely to be located next to pollution sources, such as landfills, power plants, and incinerators. It creates disparities in many different spheres of life, such as transportation, housing, and economic opportunity. Environmental racism exposes Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic populations to physical health hazards and may negatively impact mental health. Environmental racism is a form of institutional racism, in which people of colour bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms, such as pollution from hazardous waste disposal and the effects of natural disasters.
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