Environmental Justice and Toxic Waste
November 15, 2022 - There has been a lot said about environmental justice recently. The Government’s definition is:
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
For us at THEA, the idea of environmental justice isn’t just about laws or developing regulations. It runs deeper than that. We believe protection from toxic chemicals and the health of our families are fundamental rights that we all share. That’s why we were excited to be a part of a recent forum on environmental justice held by the Clear Lake Presbyterian Church.
THEA founder, Jackie Medcalf, talked about the similarities between her own experience, trying to find out the facts about contaminated water at her home and the experience of residents in the greater Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens. In both cases, the system failed to alert them to the dangers and then, once they were discovered, the process of fixing it was unnecessarily complex and difficult.
Another participant, Dr. Denae King, Associate Director of The Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (TSU) stressed that access to data and being able to identify the right decision makers make all the difference.