What kinds of environmental injustice are there?
A. Procedural Inequity – This issue addresses questions of fair treatment – the extent that governing rules, regulations, and evaluation criteria are applied uniformly. Examples of procedural inequity are “stacking” boards and commissions with pro-business interests, holding hearings in remote locations to minimize public participation, and using English-only material to communicate to non-English speaking communities. Geographical Inequity – Some neighborhoods, communities, and regions receive direct benefits, such as jobs and tax revenues, from industrial production while the costs, such as the burdens of waste disposal, are sent elsewhere. Communities hosting waste-disposal facilities often receive fewer economic benefits than communities generating the waste. Social Inequity – Environmental decisions often mirror the power arrangements of the larger society and reflect the continuing racial bias in the United States.
