FACT SHEET

Why Do We Need Environmental Justice Legislation?

• Currently, there is nothing to prohibit all polluting facilities in Connecticut from being located in any one town.
• According to a recent University of Hartford study, Connecticut’s new regional waste facilities are being disproportionately located in areas populated by people of color and low-income people. (New England Journal of Public Policy, Summer 2001)
• The State Department of Environmental Protection’s analysis of the situation shows that in 9 out of 10 categories, minorities are more likely to live near potential environmental hazards than whites. (CT Department of Environmental Protection)
• Environmentally associated asthma has been increasing for all groups, but faster for younger, poorer, and minority children.  African American and Hispanic children are five times more likely to visit the emergency room or be admitted compared to Caucasian children. (CT Department of Public Health)
• In 2001, the direct medical costs associated with children under the age of 18 with Asthma were $ 34 million dollars compared with $14 million dollars in 1994, a 128% increase. (CT Department of Public Health)

What Will The Legislation Do?

The Connecticut Campaign for Environmental Justice legislation initiative seeks to correct the inequities associated with the large numbers of pollution sources located in areas that are populated by minorities and low-income people by introducing legislation that will require certain state agencies to identify areas of the state that have disproportionately high amounts of pollution and to develop plans to work with those communities to reduce the disproportionate burdens.

What is Environmental Justice?

A growing body of evidence suggests that minority and low-income populations bear a disproportionate share of pollution sources and suffer from more adverse health risks than the society at large due to:

·         Zoning and siting practices that have a differential impact

·         Barriers to participation in the decision-making processes

·         Disproportionate exposure to harmful chemicals

·         Unequal enforcement of environmental laws

Environmental Justice is equal protection under all environmental laws and regulations regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status.  It includes fair and meaningful participation in the decision-making processes and access to relief measures from existing environmental burdens in proportion to the burdens for all people.