Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview ...
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This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview of the federal Superfund program, created in 1980 when Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which allowed the federal government to respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous wastes that might harm people or the environment. It then considers the legacy of unequal protection in the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of its Superfund laws, increasing the risk for African Americans and other communities of color. It also presents case studies that highlight environmental racism and slow government response to disasters that threaten the health and welfare of African Americans in the Deep South.Less
This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview of the federal Superfund program, created in 1980 when Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which allowed the federal government to respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous wastes that might harm people or the environment. It then considers the legacy of unequal protection in the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of its Superfund laws, increasing the risk for African Americans and other communities of color. It also presents case studies that highlight environmental racism and slow government response to disasters that threaten the health and welfare of African Americans in the Deep South.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it ...
More
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.Less
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.
