In this presentation before the City of Jacksonville's Special Committee on Resiliency, I discuss the origins of the environmental justice movement in the United States, describe how the concept evolved in academic literature, and provide examples of policies that promote the multi-faceted concept of environmental justice.

1. Environmental Justice:
History, Evolution, & Policy
Dr. Josh Gellers
COJ Special Cmte on Resiliency
December 11, 2020
Illustration: Erin Dunn

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3. Photo: Bettman/Getty Images
1982: Warren County, North Carolina
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4. “Race proved to be the most significant among
variables tested in association with the location
of commercial hazardous waste facilities. This
represented a consistent national pattern” (xiii).
Photo: Salwan Georges/Detroit Free Press
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5. Principles of Environmental Justice (1991)
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6. Principles of Environmental Justice (1991), cont’d
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7. Environmental
Racism
Environmental
Equity
Environmental
Justice
How EJ Evolved
+ Gender and Social Class + Equality and Equity
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8. Distribution Participation Recognition
Capabilities
Environmental Justice
Social Justice
Climate Justice
Energy Justice
Food Justice
Housing Justice
Transportation
Justice
EJ Today
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9. Monitoring
EJ at Home
Source: EPA EJSCREEN Tool
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10. Monitoring
EJ Abroad Source: EJ Atlas
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11. General Policy Recommendations
Take a holistic approach to defining and implementing EJ (Adamkiewicz et al. 2011;
Gellers 2016)
Recognize differences in the kinds of environmental injustices experienced across
the community
Mainstream EJ principles into government functions and policies
Adopt a right to environmental information (Gellers and Jeffords 2018) and a right
to contribute to environmental information (Suman 2020; Formosa Plastics case)
Provide multiple avenues for participating in environmental decision-making
(Gellers 2016)
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12. Policy Example I: Distribution
• “…shall not consider complete for review any application for a permit
for a new facility or for the expansion of an existing facility, or any
application for the renewal of an existing facility's major source
permit, if the facility is located, or proposed to be located, in whole or
in part, in an overburdened community.” (New Jersey Senate Bill 232,
Sec. 4)
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13. Policy Example II: Participation
• “…shall guarantee mechanisms for the participation of the public in
decision-making processes, revisions, reexaminations or updates with
respect to projects and activities, and in other processes for granting
environmental permits that have or may have a significant impact on
the environment, including when they may affect health.” (Escazú
Agreement, Art. 7(2))
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14. Policy Example III: Recognition
• “…provide translations of publicly available documents made
available pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act in any
language spoken by more than 5 percent of the population residing
within the environmental justice community.” (U.S. House Resolution
5986, Sec. 14(e)(4))
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15. Additional Resources
• Website
• NRDC: The History of Environmental Justice in Five Minutes (2016)
• Report
• The New School: Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National Scan
(2019)
• Video
• The IEJ Project: What is Indigenous Environmental Justice? (2019)
• Books
• Bullard: Dumping in Dixie (2000)
• Coolsaet (Ed.): Environmental Justice: Key Issues (2020)
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16. Environmental Justice is the key to an equitable and
resilient future for all of Jacksonville.
Contact:
josh.gellers@gmail.com
www.joshgellers.com
@JoshGellers
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