11 Facts about Environmental Racism

1. People of color make up the majority of those living in neighborhoods located within 1.8 miles of the nation’s hazardous waste facilities.
2. As a whole, racial disparities of color exist in 9 out of 10 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regions. [see a map of the regions here]
3. Existing laws and land-use controls have not been adequately applied in order to reduce health risks for those living in or near toxic "hot spots."
4. A 2005 Associated Press study and 2007 United Church of Christ report both found that African Americans are 79% more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollution is suspected of causing the greatest health dangers.
5. A Commission for Racial Justice study found that three of the five largest waste facilities dealing with hazardous materials in the United States are located in poor black communities. This study also showed that three out of every five African American and Latinos live in areas near toxic waste sites, as well as live in areas where the levels of poverty are well above the national average.
6. Native Americans also experience environmental racism in their communities. Many Native Americans who live in communities where most people are below poverty level face some of the worst toxic pollution problems in the country.
7. The Commission for Racial Justice contends that "approximately half
   of all Native Americans live in communities with an uncontrolled toxic waste site."
8. Living near toxic waste facilities and living in low income housing affects almost every aspect of the community's lives. The food people eat, the water they drink, and the air they breathe are all affected by these facilities. Homes, schools, and the workplace are deemed unsafe because of environmental hazards in the buildings, which remain widely under cared for and outdated.
9. Recent studies have shown that children of color who live in poor areas are more likely to attend schools filled with asbestos, live in homes with peeling led paint, and play in parks that are contaminated.
10. These same children are nearly nine times more likely than economically advantaged children to be exposed to lead levels so high they can cause severe learning disabilities as well as other neurological disorders. Even more startling, 96 percent of African American children who live in inner cities have unsafe amounts of lead in their blood.
11. As in previous budgets, the Bush Administration fiscal year 2008 budget recommended a 28.4 percent cut to the budget of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice ($4.58 million was recommended, down from $6.34 million enacted in the fiscal year 2006 budget and fiscal year 07 continuing resolution).

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Earth

Young People for

Toxic Wastes and Race 1987-2007