A Brief History of Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice in the United States

The video traces the history of environmental justice in the United States, arguing that landfills and hazardous-waste facilities have disproportionately affected poor and minority communities, which often have limited protection from nearby industries.

Key Developments

• 1982: Residents of Warren County, North Carolina, protested a plan to dump contaminated soil in their community. The protests helped build momentum for the environmental justice movement.
• 1987: A United Church of Christ report found that hazardous-waste sites were more likely to be located in Black, low-income, or largely minority neighborhoods.
• 1992: The federal government established the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice.
• Clinton administration: President Bill Clinton directed federal agencies to consider environmental justice, but Congress did not make the order law.
• George W. Bush administration: The office broadened its focus to “all people,” which the video says weakened its emphasis on vulnerable communities. Environmental civil-rights claims were often rejected or delayed.
• Obama administration: The administration renewed its commitment to environmental justice, but no bill strengthening protections was introduced, despite two years of Democratic control of Congress and the White House.
• Trump administration: The video warns that President Donald Trump’s proposed 31% EPA budget cut and regulatory rollbacks could leave vulnerable communities with even less protection.

Presenter/contributor: Talia Buford