From Environmental Defense | 1999

Environmental Justice Policy: A Statement by the Board of Trustees

Problems of Environmental Disparities

Environmental problems - from toxic pollution to loss of biodiversity - affect all of us. Some communities, especially communities of color and poorer communities, are likely to suffer disproportionate impacts from environmental degradation. Problems of environmental justice are caused by a complex web of economic, technological, and political forces. In working to solve today's most pressing environmental problems, Environmental Defense is committed to finding solutions that are equitable, as well as effective.

Environmental and social impacts that give rise to imbalances in environmental justice arise from many factors, such as: unsustainable levels of resource consumption, inefficient technologies, inappropriate management practices, skewed economic development policies, laws and regulations which ignore actual human exposures, and unaccountable and non-participatory political processes. Consumption patterns of all communities - rich and poor - together are associated with critical environmental threats, such as declining human health from toxic pollution, irreversible loss of biodiversity and forest and river ecosystems, and ozone depletion and global climate change. Yet communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to many of these environmental threats.

Evidence of present and past environmental disparities includes: higher incidences of childhood lead poisoning among African-American children and among lower-income children; “Update: Blood Lead Levels – United States, 1991-1994,” Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 46/No. 7, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, Feb. 21, 1997. higher exposures by people of color to air pollution in areas that do not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's health-based standards for air quality; “Environmental Equity: Reducing Risks to All Communities,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 1992, p.14. and higher penalties for violations of federal environmental laws levied in white communities compared to minority communities. “Unequal Protection: The Racial Divide in Environmental Law,” a special investigation by the National Law Journal, New York, NY, September 21, 1992, p. S2. Other areas where environmental disparities can exist include the siting of waste management facilities, access to contaminated drinking water and food, job-related exposures to toxic chemicals, access to well-maintained public park land, and the availability of transportation options.

A major reason that environmental disparities exist is because the processes to design and enforce laws that affect the environment have not always been participatory. Moreover, certain laws and regulations have been crafted based on theory alone and ignore the actual populations at risk. In addition, communities that shoulder the burden of environmental problems are often politically threatened. To sustain human communities, and the global and ecological systems on which we all depend, society must develop strategies that will meet the needs of all communities. For these strategies to be effective, all communities must ultimately participate in their design, management, and implementation.

Principles of Equity, Participation and Sustainabilty

Environmental Defense focuses on people and the environment, and works to provide innovative and economically viable solutions to today's environmental problems. In adopting our policy on Environmental Justice, Environmental Defense reaffirms its commitment to actively support the prevention and redressing of environmental problems that adversely affect communities of color and poorer communities. We reiterate our commitment to the principles of equity, participation, and sustainability. We understand these principles to mean the following:

• Equity: All members of any community should have access to a clean and healthy environment. No segment of any community should be adversely affected by harmful environmental or health effects.
• Participation: In addition to having a voice through elected officials in representative government, the members of the community and its representatives must have meaningful opportunities to participate directly in decisions and actions that affect the community.
• Sustainability: Society needs to eradicate the conditions leading to environmental degradation for all communities, both locally and globally. Creating and implementing sustainable means of meeting human needs both now and in the future, while protecting and restoring the natural resources and ecological systems on which we all depend, should ultimately lead to the elimination of environmental disparities and the establishment of healthy and vibrant communities. Achieving sustainability will require that society implement economic and social systems that are equitable, not environmentally destructive, and more socially and culturally sensitive.

Our Role in Addressing Environmental Justice

During the last decade, many grassroots and community-based organizations, as well as national leaders and political representatives, have succeeded in raising awareness about the intersection of environmental and social issues and the need to address problems of environmental justice, which culminated in the 1991 First People of Color Leadership Summit. Environmental Defense is committed to addressing environmental justice concerns relevant to our mission of achieving a healthy and sustainable environment for all.

Our program activities will internalize our commitment to environmental justice, ensuring that we will make ourselves aware of the environmental justice issues and implications of the issues on which we work, and that we are sensitive to the environmental justice implications of any solutions we propose. We are committed to including affected communities in dealing with the environmental problems we all confront, and we will support their full participation in developing solutions. Through alliances, Environmental Defense will share its environmental expertise and leadership to reach solutions on environmental justice issues. Through our own organizational development, Environmental Defense will create opportunities to develop new expertise, continue to diversify our staff, board, and membership, improve outreach and communication, and educate the public to achieve a sustainable society.

Environmental Defense recognizes that carrying out the efforts outlined in this Environmental Justice Policy Statement is a continuous and interactive process. We are committed to action, both now and in the future.