“When we think of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we think society has made great strides towards equality, justice and fair treatment of people of all stripes,” said Robin Saha, a University of Montana professor who helped update the original report, which is now titled “Toxic Waste and Race at Twenty, 1987-2007.”
The study, said Saha, shows “we still have a long way to go.”
An executive summary of the report shows that more than 9 million people live within two miles of the nation's 413 commercial hazardous waste facilities, which includes byproducts from chemical manufacturing companies.
More than 5.1 million Hispanics, blacks, Asians and Native people live in neighborhoods with one or more commercial waste facilities. The following states have the highest disproportionate numbers of minorities living in waste-host neighborhoods: California, Nevada, Illinois, Alabama, Michigan, Tennessee, Washington, Arkansas, Kentucky and Kansas.
An estimated 2.5 million Hispanics, 1.8 million blacks, 616,000 Asians and 62,000 American Indians live near hazardous waste sites, and 83 percent of the locations are in metropolitan areas.
Many of the waste chemicals can't easily be reused, leaving those in the business of waste to find ways to store or get rid of their products, including incinerators and landfills. “They are chemicals you don't want in your proximity,” said Saha. “These facilities are supposed to manage them properly, but they don't always do it.”
Reporter Jodi Rave can be reached at (406) 523-5299 or at jodi.rave@lee.net
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)