How Environmental Racism Continues to Burden the Health of Underserved Communities

Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism that occurs when Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities face a disproportionate risk of exposure to environmental pollutants. Exposure to toxic chemicals like those found in ash, fumes, and contaminated water often leads to adverse health problems, such as a higher risk of developing cancer, diabetes, and asthma.

A General Accounting Office study reported that 75% of hazardous waste sites are often placed in regions where low-income communities of color live. That’s because policies and practices in the United States have often favored affluent, white communities. Historically, local and state governments opted to buy cheaper land in low-income areas, which unfairly affected (and continues to affect) poor communities of color.

Some examples of environmental racism have long been reported in the media (see: Flint Water Crisis). However, many instances of this injustice often go unnoticed. That’s why the environmental justice movement, which roots back to the 1970s, continues to bring attention to these issues, educate the public about the health effects of environmental racism, and fight for change.

Environmental racism affects several communities across the United States. However, the following are just a few prominent examples of how poor communities of color have experienced adverse health effects due to environmental racism.

Cancer Alley

Cancer Alley is a stretch of land located along the banks of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans in the state of Louisiana. This region consists of about 200 fossil fuel and petrochemical operations, contributing to about a quarter of the petrochemical production in the United States. Petrochemical is a chemical that comes from petroleum (oil) and natural gas).

This region is predominantly made up of Black people and these communities unfortunately experience serious health problems due to the pollution emitted by the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry. Those who live in this area have a significantly higher risk of developing respiratory diseases, miscarriages, poor health of newborns, infertility, and cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a town in this region called Reserve has a 50 times higher risk of developing cancer compared to the national average.

Lead in Flint

In April 2014, the local government in Flint, Michigan decided to switch the city’s drinking water supply from the Detroit water system to the Flint River to save money. However, failure to treat water from the Flint River caused lead and other metals to enter the drinking water. High levels of lead in the water adversely affected the health of people living in Flint, most of whom are Black.

Despite protests from residents, the government ensured the water was safe. It was not—which caused exposure to lead-contaminated water for several years. Exposure to lead in the water resulted in brain and nervous system damage in growing children, causing behavioral, learning, speech, and hearing problems. The water from the Flint River also led to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease (a severe form of pneumonia) that resulted in the death of 12 people.

Asthma Alley

Mott Haven in South Bronx, New York nicknamed “Asthma Alley” is one of the regions with the worst air pollution levels in the United States. Emissions from hundreds of daily trucks and exhaust emissions from constant traffic on four nearby highways caused a significant increase in pollution levels.

Black and Latino communities mostly make up The Bronx. Unfortunately, these communities have higher risks of developing serious respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to exposure to such high levels of air pollution. Asthma, in particular, is quite prevalent in the region. Hospitalizations due to asthma in Mott Haven are 21 times higher compared to other neighborhoods in New York.

Sugarcane Burning in South Florida

Burning of sugarcane in South Florida contributes to significant air pollution every year. Each year, about 10,000 sugarcane fields are burned between October and March. This affects the Sugarcane Growing Region, which consists of cities like Pahokee, Clewiston, and Belle Glade. The demographic in these cities predominantly includes Black people.

The burning of these sugarcane fields causes exposure to pollutants like smoke and toxic ash. As a result, people who live in these communities have a higher risk of developing pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.

Water Crisis in Jackson

In 2022, the largest water treatment plant in Jackson, Mississippi failed, leaving the 160,000 people in the city without a water source. The residents, who are mostly low-income Black people, have encountered problems with safe drinking water for decades. These communities were exposed to oily water, discolored water, and water with floating particles.

This lack of access to clean water negatively affected people receiving treatment for cancer and people living with chronic conditions. Research also found that undrinkable and unclean water increases the risk of chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, infant death, and stroke.

Environmental racism can cause disease, disability, and even death in people of all ages. These problems often affect poor BIPOC communities in the United States. As a result, these communities have a higher risk of developing several health conditions, including:

Obesity
Asthma
Diabetes
Cancer
COPD
Birth defects
Developmental conditions
Mental health conditions

Children are especially susceptible to the effects of environmental racism more so than adults. Exposure to toxic substances, air pollution, or water pollution can cause brain damage and chronic diseases that affect their development and adult life. Without finding proper solutions to environmental racism, these adverse health effects will affect current and future generations.

People in low-income BIPOC communities began the environmental justice movement. The movement dates back to the late 1970s when protests took place against the government in Warren County, North Carolina. The protest was against the disposal of soil made up of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in a region that was mostly inhabited by Black communities. PCB is a carcinogenic chemical, meaning it increases the risk of cancer.

However, several successful community-led events that fought environmental injustice occurred before the environmental justice movement came into action, including:

The Memphis Sanitation Strike in Memphis, TennesseeThe Northeast Community Action Group (NECAG) in Houston, TexasSit-in against Warren County Landfill

The environmental justice movement aims to provide protection against environmental and health hazards and the ability to be a part of the environmental decision-making process for all people (regardless of race, ethnicity, or income level). The movement aims to ensure that all people have access to a healthy working, living, and learning environment.

The environmental justice movement has clear goals, which include:

Reducing harmful emissions from vehicles and improving air quality
Developing clean and renewable energy projects
Making sure all public policies are based on justice and mutual respect for all people
Turning contaminated land into clean and reusable regions
Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for all workers
Providing compensation and good healthcare to people affected by environmental injustice
Conserving urban lands by developing parks and gardens to encourage access to green spaces
Reducing exposure to hazardous waste sites
Ensuring all communities have access to clean drinking water
Educating the current and future generations on environmental issues

Hundreds of environmental justice groups in the United States aim to provide environmental protection, especially to communities affected by environmental racism. The Biden Administration created the Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of all climate change and clean energy federal investments go towards communities overburdened by pollution.

However, there are still certain challenges concerning environmental justice. A few policies still exist that support the development of polluting industries—such as oil fracking and gas drilling. While local and national governments are becoming more diverse, people from communities that experience environmental racism are not always represented equitably in government. Environmental justice groups, however, are continuing to advocate for fair policies and representation in policymaking.

Environmental racism is a type of racial inequality that often affects poor BIPOC communities via increased exposure to environmental pollutants. This type of injustice typically occurs because local and national decision-makers buy land in low-income communities and enact policies (e.g., oil fracking or gas drilling) that pollute the air, land, and water in these areas.

This exposure to hazardous materials significantly increases the risk of chronic health conditions among BIPOC communities. In fact, these communities are more likely to experience diseases like cancer, diabetes, asthma, and developmental problems at higher rates. The environmental justice movement, however, aims to reduce the effects of these racial disparities and fight for protection, representation, and equity in communities plagued by environmental racism.