Minority Neighborhoods Health Risk Heightened

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:
Minority Neighborhoods at Risk

In minority neighborhood, kids’ risk of cancer soars
By Howard Witt and Tribune Senior Correspondent July 29, 2007

WEBLINK:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2007/jul/29/news/chi-pollute_bdjul29

Manchestera Texas, a suburb in the midst of a Houston’s most toxic industrial zone, is seeing the repercussions of industrial pollution at length. Experiencing health problems including cancer, the residents of this 90% Hispanic, low-income, working class neighborhood are starting to see signs of the industrial zone, Houston Ship channel bearing a toll on the community. One resident Rosario Marroquin, has lived in Manchestera her whole life and has witnessed the cancer outbreak; her own 6 year old son, Valentin, has just started his leukemia treatments. Marroquin states “The factories were here fist, and I understand that…I understand that we need all this industry for our nation’s economy. But when you look at the pain of a child in the hospital, why can’t these plants do something better, invest more money in pollution controls?”(Witt, 2007). Residents of city of Manchestera, are just some of the many residents that are at jeopardy due to Environmental injustice. Evan Rinquist mentions that a number of studies in the 1980’s concluded that “minority neighborhoods generally experienced worse air quality, worse water quality, more landfills, more sources of toxic pollution, more hazardous waste sites, and weaker enforcement of environmental regulations.” (Vix, 239)

To address the cases in Houston, the University of Texas School of Public Health published a study of children living within a 2 mile radius of the Houston Ship Channel, an area heavily industrialized. In this study it was found that children who live within this radius have a “56 percent greater risk of contracting acute lymphocytic leukemia than children living farther away.” (Witt, 2007). This is not just a local problem; environmental justice issues such as this one are also a national problem. “Risk associated with environmental degradation and hazards are not always proportionate to all people and communities. Environmental justice is considered fair treatment for all people regarding environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” (www.epa.gov)

Rinquest shows that through studies such as Ken Sexton et al. “Air Pollution Health Risks: Do class and Race Matter?”, minority “residents are much more likely than white residents to live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollutants.”(Vix, 244). Greater environmental health risks are associated with those people with greater exposure to facilities and pollution(Vix, 255). Consequently, Witt states that in EPA data analyzed by the Associated Press in 2005, it was found that “blacks are 79% more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollution is suspected of posing the greatest health danger.” Environmental injustices dealing with pollutants and minority residents associated health risks can be seen in the cases similar to the Manchestera Texas.

The argument in most cases is that the industries were there first and the residents came second. As an example, the Houston Ship Channel region case, the industrial petrochemical facilities were established during World War II, in a time where the area was highly unpopulated. The rebuttal is that the presence of industries often has a negative effect on housing property values, thus attracting low income families to the area. Unfortunately, political power of the minority, low-income communities is often lacking. Thus, the minority, low income community is stuck, with not enough money to move away from the situation and not enough political power to change the situation.

David Konisky mentions that “Communities with high levels of political capacity (that is, wealth, education, group organization skills are more likely to overcome free rider problems and pressure government into strictly enforcing environmental laws”(Konisky, 106). Because political power is a often a function of wealth, education, group organizational skills and frequent participation in the political process; low income minority neighborhoods, often lack political power(Rinquest 249). Thus, the government enforcement is often less stringent without the community interference. Community outreach coordinator for Mothers of Clean Air explains, “It is very easy for industry and the politicians to wear down these communities because they don’t believe they have a right to anything better, and many people are afraid to come forward and complain”(Witt, 2007). Yet, the children of the surrounding communities are developing illnesses that will be with them their entire lives.

States, such as Texas have the power to set their own standards for toxics; unfortunately, Texas has not done anything in the absence of federal standards. However, the Mayor of Houston, Bill White is advocating for stiff fines on industrial plants that do not reduce their toxic emissions. Due to the strong opposition from the petrochemical industry, White has agreed to the formation of an “an industry-government commission” to aid in voluntary emission reductions. Although optimistic, to eliminate the possibility of less stringent laws in the minority neighborhoods, White threatens that if the plants do not comply voluntarily then he will be forced to resurrect his proposed ordinance dealing with strict fines. Reductions of emissions may be costly to the industrial plants, but it can be done. It is hopeful, that with the reductions, health risks associated with living in proximity to the plants will decrease.