10 alarming examples of environmental racism in the US

Smoke billows from one of many chemical plants in the area October 12, 2013. 'Cancer Alley' is one of the most polluted areas of the United States and lies along the once pristine Mississippi River, effecting predominantly communities of color.Giles Clarke/Getty Images

• Communities of color in the US are often victims of environmental racism, which describes the disproportionate impact on their lives because of living near hazardous pollution.
• Numerous studies have shown that Black and Hispanic communities are exposed to higher proportions of air pollution, toxic waste sites, landfills, lead poisoning, and other industrial complexes compared to white counterparts.
• An estimated 70% of contaminated waste sites are located in low-income neighborhoods, and an upwards of 2 million Americans live within a mile of sites that are vulnerable to flooding — the majority of which are in Black and brown communities.
• The list goes on and on, but here are a few of the many alarming examples of environmental racism across the country.

The environmental justice movement began in the late 1960s, when people of color began pushing back against a disproportionate level of exposure to hazardous waste, air pollutants, and chemicals.

Half a century later, the issue still persists across the country.

Today, people of color are far more likely to live in areas with higher rates of air pollution, toxic waste facilities, landfills, and lead poisoning.

Studies have shown that non-Hispanic whites have the lowest exposure rates to air pollution, as opposed to Hispanic and Black Americans, and that over half of the people who live in close proximity to toxic waste facilities are people of color.

A 2018 study conducted by the EPA showed that at the national, state, and county levels, non-white Americans are disproportionately burdened by particulate matter — or air pollution consisting of automobile fumes, smog, soot, oil smoke, ash, and construction dust — than white people.

This type of pollution has been named a definite carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and it's been declared by the EPA as a contributor to adverse health conditions, including lung issues, heart attacks, and premature death.

Environmental racism can exist in many forms. Here are some of the more blatant examples of injustice across the country.