Overview of the Program

The purpose of this initiative low-income, minority communities, and minority educational institutions, including historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions/HBCUs/MIs, in the following two areas: (1) expanding and enhancing educational research opportunities in health promotion and disease prevention related to exposure to hazardous substances in the environment; and (2) providing education and information to low-income and people of color communities that are affected by environmental problems, including industrial pollution, toxic wastes sites, and commercial hazardous facilities.
The following details a description of the project goals:

• Develop strategies for disease prevention and health promotion related to exposure to hazardous substances from toxic waste sites, and transferring to minority and low-income communities;
• Develop relevant and culturally competent environmental health instructional materials for health professionals;
• Coordinate a wide variety of field experiences in the practice of disease prevention and health promotion for students of the grantee institution and of collaborating institutions;
• Maintain and distribute minority health and environmental justice related resource information, instructional materials, and teaching techniques for health professionals;
• Develop strategies for assisting communities in identifying the needs of "at risk" populations and research gaps and develop a plan for working with the community to address these problems and issues concerning policies, regulations, and procedures related to the environmental characterization, assessment, public health assessment, cleanup and reuse of contaminated sites and properties;
• Conduct community based workshops on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool in brownfields and environmental justice priority setting and community analysis;
• Collaborate with government and non-government officials on environmental justice, risk communication, and environmental health matters, when requested by communities; and,
• Collaborate with state and local health departments and community based organizations on environmental justice and minority health issues. This collaboration should improve teaching and learning at the grantee schools and other participating schools.

 

Environmental Justice Education and Community Outreach

Much of the EJRC’s work involves outreaching to and working with environmentally impacted communities and assisting them overcome toxic pollution and health threats. Some of this outreach, research, and policy work is reported in the materials listed below. Click HERE to view project activities.

 

Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States Update Initiative

In 1987, the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice released its groundbreaking study Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States. The report was significant because it found race to be the most potent variable in predicting where commercial hazardous waste facilities were located in the U.S., more powerful than household income, the value of homes and the estimated amount of hazardous waste generated by industry.

This year, the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries commissioned a new report as part of the twentieth anniversary of the release of the 1987 report. The 2007 Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty report uses 2000 census data. The report also chronicles important environmental justice milestones since 1987 and includes a collection of “impact” essays from environmental justice leaders on a range of topics. This new report also examines the environmental justice implications in post-Katrina New Orleans and uses the Dickson County (Tennessee) Landfill case, the “poster child” for environmental racism, to illustrate the deadly mix of waste and race.

Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty is designed to facilitate renewed grassroots organizing and provide a catalyst for local, regional and national environmental justice public forums, discussion groups and policy changes in 2007 and beyond. The report was led by environmental justice scholars Robert D. Bullard (Clark Atlanta University), Paul Mohai (University of Michigan), Robin Saha (University of Montana), and Beverly Wright (Dillard University of Louisiana). For more information please click HERE. To view the media's coverage of this report please click HERE.

 

Dickson County Landfill Toxic Racism Case

The EJRC is providing research, technical assistance, and national outreach to the Harry Holt family who live in Dickson, Tennessee. This case is about slow government response to toxic contamination in a mostly black enclave on Eno Road in Dickson, Tennessee--a small town located about 35 miles west of Nashville. The sad events in Dickson are chronicled in Toxic Terror in a Tennessee Town and Deadly Tennessee Two Step. Harry Holt and his family have owned over 150 acres of land in Dickson County’s segregated African American Eno Road community for more than six generations. The Holt family wells were poisoned by the leaky Dickson County Landfill-located just 54 feet from their property line. The landfill accepted tons of toxic industrial wastes in the late 1960s. Government officials first learned of the trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination in the Holt family wells as far back as 1988-but assured the black family their wells were safe. TCE is a suspected carcinogen. The wells were not safe. Three generations of Holts are now sick after being poisoned by their own government. It was not until 2000 that the Holt family was placed on the city tap water system-after drinking TCE-contaminated water for twelve years-from 1988 to 2000. In 2003, the Holt family sued the city, county, and the company that dumped the TCE in the county landfill. The Holt v. Scovill case is still pending. The Holt family is currently represented by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (LDF) based in New York. To view more information on this case please click HERE.

 

HBCU/MI Environmental Justice Lecture Series

 

 

This project planned, organized, and coordinated lectures at the following three HBCU/MI Consortium member institutions: Clark Atlanta University, Southern University at New Orleans, and Florida A&M University. Professor Robert D. Bullard, a leading author and scholar on environmental justice gave the lectures. The lectures were delivered via a Powerpoint Presentation and free and open to the public. Moreover, outreach was conducted in the local civic, government , and community based organizations so as to ensure a diverse audience in attendance.

Lecture Series I:

The first lecture series was held on the campus of Clark Atlanta University on October 26, 1999. The lecture was entitled: "The Costs and Consequences of Urban Sprawl: Equity Dimensions of Uneven Growth in Metro Atlanta."

Lecture Series II:

The second lecture series was held on the campus of Southern University at New Orleans on October 29, 1999. The lecture was entitled: "Environmental Justice for All: Making a Difference Where It Counts."

Lecture Series III:

The third lecture series was held on the campus of Florida A&M University on March 15, 2000. The lecture was entitled: "The Costs and Consequences of Urban Sprawl: Why People of Color Must Join in the Smart Growth Dialogue."

 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Workshop

The Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Training Workshop was held on March 11, 2000. It was a hands-on computer based training course highlighting the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and facilitating technical assistance and community access to health and environmental data sets, TRI, and other mapping technology. The workshop included both lectures and computer practice sessions. During this workshop faculty, community stakeholders, and high school students attended. This was a special workshop in that inner-city teenagers wanted to be of service to their communities that are adversely affected by environmental degradation and hazardous waste. Hence, the teenagers are using the information learned from the workshop for their active community organization, SWEDCO.

During this workshop the following things were achieved: (1) A Brief History and Overview of Environmental Justice was given by Dr. Glenn S. Johnson, Research Associate; (2) A GIS Presentation was given by Angel O. Torres, Geographic Information Systems Training Specialist; (3) An Introduction to Scorecard was given by Chad G. Johnson, Information Specialist; and, (4) Angel O. Torres continued with a LandView III Presentation and hands-on GIS Exercises. A pre and posttest was given of every individual to measure the depth of information learned and retained. Moreover, an evaluation was completed by each participant on the entire training workshop.

 

TOXNET on the Web Training Workshop

The course entitled, "TOXNET on the Web from the National Library of Medicine" was held at the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University on January 6 and 7, 2000 which was opened to community based organization stakeholders, environmental health professionals, faculty, students, concerned citizens and stakeholders. The free training course conducted by the Medical Education and Outreach Group of Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) was for those who desperately desired training in toxicology and environmental health information via the web. Thirty persons attended the hands-on training and gave positive reviews of the sessions. The workshop was designed from a train-the-trainer approach. The course included an introduction and hands-on exercises over the following databases ChemIDplus, Hazardous Substance Data Bank, Integrated Risk Information System, Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System, Genetic Toxicology Data, Toxic Chemical Release Inventory, Toxicology Information Online, Environmental Mutagen Information Center, and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology/Environmental Teratology Information Center.

 

Environmental Justice Curriculum Modules

This project commissioned a number of professionals to develop environmental justice curriculum modules. The modules have two major components: (1) Study Guide, and (2) Powerpoint Presentation. The modules are in the process of being collated and copied on CD-ROM.

The following lists the commissioned topics for the modules:

• "The 'Communiversity' Model: Research, Policy, and Action in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor," Beverly Wright, Xavier University
• "Environmental Justice and Public Health: Defining and Addressing Disparate Impact." Richard Gragg and Cynthia Harris, Florida A&M University
• "Environmental Justice and the Law: Who is Protecting You?" Grover Hankins, Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law
• "Using Geographic Information System (GIS) as a Tool in Environmental Justice Research," Babafemi Adesanya, Environmental Equity Information Institute
• "Running Out of Breath: Urban Air Quality and Asthma," TBA
• "Workers at Risk," JoLani Hironaka, Santa Clara Occupational Health and Safety Center
• "The Legacy of Lead," Janet Phoenix, National Lead Information Center, National Safety Council
• "Environmental Justice and Health Professionals," Dorothy Powell, Division of Nursing, Howard University

In addition, the following lists contributions to the curriculum module from staff members:

• "Historical Overview of Environmental Justice in the United States, 1978-1999" Robert D. Bullard, Clark Atlanta University
• "Environmental and Health Consequences of Suburban Sprawl," Robert D. Bullard, Angel O. Torres, and Glenn S. Johnson
• "Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States," Robert D. Bullard, Clark Atlanta University
• "Just Transportation and Social Equity," Robert D. Bullard and Glenn S. Johnson, Clark Atlanta University
• "Integrating Environmental Justice Principles into Brownfields Redevelopment," Robert D. Bullard, Clark Atlanta University