3.3 Environmental Justice





Years of Lead Contamination Suspected in Newark, NJ 


The video above talks about years of lead contamination in Newark, NJ. This is the city where I was born and raised before moving to California four years ago. It is sad to say that environmental injustice is nothing new to me. I have first hand experience of environmental injustice and it is very unfortunate that like Flint, when the issue is brought to the public nothing happens when people of color lives are involved. The concern will last for a very short time and then it is forgotten because it is not affecting the Mayor, Superintendent of the schools, or Governor because they do not live there. The issue goes ignored. Some would ask why won't they move to better cities where they won't be exposed to high levels of lead or bad air quality? It is easier said than done.

Along with the other 8 Horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities with Environmental Racism, these situations fit with the social determinants because these are predominately Black communities, low income, drug infested neighborhoods, and no access to quality health care. When issues like this hit the media, one would think that change has to occur.  After the story about the lead in Newark hit the news as with Flint nothing happened.

This is an article about how Newark schools were denied funds for a lead filtration system:       newark-schools-denied-funds-filter-lead-drinking-water.

The Black Lives Matter Movement was able to create a platform to start a conversation about economic and environmental justice. Senator Bernie Sanders made a great point when he stated that "the less political power a community of color possesses, the more likely they are to experience insidious environmental and human health threats" ( Bienkowski, 2016). If Senator Bernie Sanders had won the election, maybe he would have been able to bring forth change within the lower income and minority communities.

References:

Bienkowski, B. (2016). A Historic Year for Environmental Justice Saw Government Failures in Flint, a Resurgent Native Voice, and a Merging of Movements. We're Watching Where it's Headed in the New Year. Retrieved from: http://www.ehn.org/the-u-s-military-is-spending-millions-to-replace-toxic-firefighting-foam-with-toxic-firefighting-foam-2533708472.html

NRDC. (2018). Newark Schools Denied Funds to Filter Lead in Drinking Water. Retrieved from:https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sara-imperiale/newark-schools-denied-funds-filter-lead-drinking-water.


Comments

  1. ALI AL AQEELIFebruary 12, 2018 at 10:12 PM

    Brittany, thank for sharing these information which I totally agree, my question why there is specific board or department in the government that keep working on solve and follow up with such cases like the flint case or the lead contamination to insure that all the people can environmental justice.

    ReplyDelete

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