Environmental Justice

A Native woman wearing a blue hoodie stands next to a pole with signs symbolizing historic fights
Mary Annette Pember  Jan 9, 2019 11:47AM EST

Inside the Long, Hard Fight to Stop the Bayou Bridge Oil Pipeline

For more than two years, Indigenous water protectors, Black residents of “Cancer Alley,” Atchafalaya Basin landowners and others have been protesting, suing and, in some cases, doing felony-level direct action, to halt the completion of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in Louisiana. Here’s the harsh reality of fighting the inevitable in the bayou.
Detroit Prepares To Host GOP Presidential Debate
Ayana Byrd  Jan 7, 2019 1:09PM EST

City of Flint to Stand Trial For Supplying Toxic Water

An appeals court ruled that the city has no immunity in the case.
Ayana Byrd  Dec 18, 2018 1:55PM EST

ICYMI: Poll Says Green New Deal Enjoys Bipartisan Support

Championed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the plan seeks to eliminate income inequality and support communities of color.
Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline To Run From Canada To Gulf Of Mexico
Ayana Byrd  Dec 7, 2018 4:29PM EST

READ: Is This Energy Company Buying Off a Black Town To Build a Pipeline?

Energy Dominion has offered Union Hill, Virginia, millions of dollars to buy support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
A plume of exhaust extends from a coal-fired power plant built in New Eagle, Pennsylvania.
Ayana Byrd  Sep 27, 2018 10:47AM EDT

Black and Latinx Families Live, Go to School and Grocery Shop Near Chemical Facilities

New research shows that the health risks—including cancer—multiply for people living at or near the poverty level.
A child walks in his flooded neighborhood on May 4, 2017, in Arnold, Missouri. Towns along the Meramec River braced for the river to crest after days of rainfall in the region.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 22, 2018 2:36PM EDT

STUDY: After Natural Disasters, Whites Accumulate Wealth While People of Color Lose It

There are marked racial differences in the cost of disasters.
Pipelines in Williston, North Dakota, on June 15, 2011.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 14, 2018 2:50PM EDT

Racial Justice Groups Enjoy Tenuous Victory in Halting Atlantic Coast Pipeline Construction

The completed pipeline would expose Black communities along its path to dangerous levels of pollution, says the NAACP.
A buried section of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline emerges a few miles north of the Yukon River on July 21, 2002 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 8, 2018 12:59PM EDT

Activists, Attorneys Say Government Ignored Data on Negative Impact of Pipeline on Natives, Blacks

The number of Indigenous people who could be negatively impacted is larger than those living near the Dakota Access pipeline.
Mustafa Ali, former EPA environmental justice official, speaks on human rights and the environment during an event by the Wilson Center on June 22, 2016.
Ayana Byrd  Mar 13, 2018 2:22PM EDT

Hip Hop Caucus Launches New Environmental Justice Podcast

Co-host Mustafa Santiago Ali: “‘Think 100%’ comes at a crucial time for our communities now and for future generations.”
Eighteen of the 21 youth plaintiffs and two of their siblings showcase their solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. They recently won with a court judge moving their case forward.
Ayana Byrd  Mar 9, 2018 12:55PM EST

Court Refuses to Dismiss Climate Kids' Lawsuit Against Federal Government

The case puts the Trump administration on trial for its actions regarding the environment.
Scott Pruitt heads the Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump.
Ayana Byrd  Dec 11, 2017 11:57AM EST

Report Says EPA More Lenient on Polluters Under President Trump

An investigative analysis by The New York Times finds a steep decrease in enforcement under the Trump administration.
A plume of exhaust extends from a coal-fired power plant built in New Eagle, Pennsylvania.
Ayana Byrd  Nov 14, 2017 9:59AM EST

REPORT: How Pollution Trading Harms Black and Latinx Communities

A new analysis examines how corporations buy their way out of reducing emissions.
A security vehicle sits outside Exxon / Mobil refinery September 23, 2005 in Baytown, Texas.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 30, 2017 11:05AM EDT

Hazardous Chemicals Released Into Air Following Hurricane-Related Refinery Accidents in Houston

ExxonMobil acknowledged that two of its refineries were damaged, and there was an unrelated pipeline leak. 
Mustafa Ali, former EPA environmental justice official, speaks on human rights and the environment during an event by the Wilson Center on June 22, 2016.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 14, 2017 3:32PM EDT

Former EPA Official Mustafa Ali on Environmental Justice Under the Trump Administration

“They have not yet moved forward on a policy that would be beneficial to low-income communities, communities of color or indigenous populations.”
Ayana Byrd  Jul 31, 2017 11:35AM EDT

Maryland's Prince George's County Fights New Power Plants

The five plants will bring jobs to the area—but they will also cause a rise in pollution for the predominantly Black community.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha.
Ayana Byrd  Jul 24, 2017 11:54AM EDT

Two Flint Whistle Blowers Honored With $250K Prize

Both intend to donate the money to further recovery efforts.
]A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for undocumented immigrants at a fence opening near the U.S.-Mexico border on January 5, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.
Yessenia Funes  Jul 17, 2017 11:34AM EDT

First Segment of Proposed Border Wall Would Run Through Wildlife Refuge

In Texas, the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge is attempting to bring back the endangered ocelot. The border wall could change that.
Crude oil pipeline construction in Jefferson County, Texas, in August 2008.
Yessenia Funes  Jul 14, 2017 11:48AM EDT

Texas Pipeline Spills Over 50K Gallons of Crude Oil

The incident led to the evacuation of 15 residences.
Bristol Bay, Alaska, in July 2007.
Yessenia Funes  Jul 12, 2017 1:22PM EDT

EPA Proposes to Remove Protections for Alaskan Watershed That Is Home to 30 Native Villages

The agency wants to re-open the discussion on the Pebble Mine Project, which could jeopardize the region’s wild salmon population.
Joe Shlabotnik / Flickr
Yessenia Funes  Jul 12, 2017 11:01AM EDT

Did the Flint Water Crisis Increase the City's Infant Mortality Rate?

Current numbers don’t show a huge change, but researchers are keeping their eye on trends.